States looking to expand their electric vehicle charging network will no longer be getting funding through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program.
In a letter dated February 6, Emily Biondi, director of the Office of Project Development and Environmental Review in the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), informed state department of transportation directors that the Department of Transportation leadership had decided to review the NEVI program policies.
“Accordingly, the current NEVI Formula Program Guidance dated June 11, 2024, and all prior versions of this guidance are rescinded,” wrote Biondi.
Citing DOT Order 2100.7, “Ensuring Reliance Upon Sound Economic Analysis in Department of Transportation Policies, Programs, and Activities,” Biondi explained that the FHWA will publish an updated draft of the NEVI Formula Guidance for public comment by this spring.
“FHWA is also immediately suspending the approval of all State Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment plans for all fiscal years. Therefore, effective immediately, no new obligations may occur under the NEVI Formula Program until the updated final NEVI Formula Program Guidance is issued and new State plans are submitted and approved,” wrote Biondi.
“The writing was on the wall,” said Brianna Lawrence, vice president of Incentives, Clean Transportation Solutions, TRC. “Executive Order ‘Unleashing American Energy’ cited NEVI directly.”
As it stands now, this should not impact contracted NEVI awards, explained Lawrence, as more than half of the NEVI funding has already been awarded, with most of it going towards publicly accessible charging for light-duty electric vehicles rather than medium and heavy-duty.
