National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program
The federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was signed into law on November 15, 2021 and established the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program. NEVI will provide funding to states to deploy electric vehicle (EV) fast chargers along designated EV corridors to establish an interconnected EV charging network across the State and nation.
In July of 2023, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) submitted New York’s NEVI Plan [PDF] update to the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
NEVI and New York
The NYSDOT will receive approximately $175 million through NEVI over five years. The NEVI program requires funds to be invested within one travel mile of designated EV corridors, with charging stations no more than 50 miles apart. Designated corridors include many of the State’s most-traveled interstate and state highways.
To receive the NEVI funds, NYSDOT submitted a State EV Infrastructure Deployment Plan (Plan) to the FHWA. The Plan contained information on the State’s existing charging infrastructure, goals for the investments, how the State plans to use the funding, and how the State will monitor and evaluate the program. Public input was an important part of Plan development. NYSDOT must submit updated plans to the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation and FHWA each year in order to receive its annual allotment. FHWA reviewed and approved these plans in September 2023.
Federal Grant Opportunity
The FHWA Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program (CFI Program) is a new competitive grant program created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to strategically deploy publicly accessible EV charging and alternative fueling infrastructure in the places people live and work, urban and rural areas alike, in addition to along designated Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFCs). This program provides two funding categories of grants: (1) Community Charging and Fueling Grants (Community Program); and (2) AFC Grants (Corridor Program). The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $2.5 billion over five years for this program. This first round of funding makes $700 million from Fiscal Years 2022 and 2023 funding available to strategically deploy EV charging infrastructure and other fueling infrastructure projects in publicly accessible locations, including downtown areas and local neighborhoods, particularly in underserved and disadvantaged communities.