PITTSBURGH (TNS) — By this time next year, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation expects to see construction beginning on the first 27 charging stations for electric vehicles that are part of the Biden administration’s economic stimulus program.
Those stations, which will fill in gaps along interstate highways so there are stations at least every 50 miles, will be part of about 150 built in the next three years under the state’s five-year, $171.5 million allocation.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has committed $7.5 billion over five years to install 500,000 charging stations across the country and encourage electric vehicles to be half of new car sales by 2030 to reduce air pollution and create jobs in clean energy.
Pennsylvania joined all states last week in submitting plans under the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program to build the charging network.
”We appreciate the thought and time that states have put into these EV infrastructure plans, which will help create a national charging network where finding a charge is as easy as locating a gas station,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a news release. “We will continue to work closely with all 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico to ensure EV chargers across the country are convenient, affordable, reliable and accessible for all Americans.”
Under Pennsylvania’s 121-page plan, the state expects to receive approval by the end of September to begin spending the $25.4 million it has available the first year. PennDOT will ask for proposals from private developers to install the stations and expects to award contracts early next year, said Natasha Fackler, the department’s infrastructure implementation coordinator.
Federal guidelines announced in June require states to identify alternative fuel corridors — usually interstate highways and major roads — and make sure those corridors have stations every 50 miles before stations are built in other areas. Those stations must be either along the interstate or easily accessible within a mile of the highway.
Pennsylvania has designated all 15 interstate highways and a portion of Route 30 in the central part of the state as alternative fuel corridors. Those roads have 27 gaps where the distance between charging stations is more than 50 miles.
Ms. Fackler said the state is still preparing guidelines for how it will seek proposals to fill those gaps at locations proposed by the developer. It could ask developers to submit one bid for all of the sites or seek bids for groups of sites on a regional basis.
}The federal program requires a 20% match to receive funds. Pennsylvania’s goal is to have the developer and/or host of the charging station pay that fee. The expectation is that installing each fast-charging station would cost $1 million to $1.5 million.
”The bids will identify areas that have gaps that need to be filled,” Ms. Fackler said. “They won’t say it has to be at an exit or this particular location.”
Once the gaps are filled, the state will seek proposals for other locations with an emphasis on making sure charging service is available in low-income and rural areas. Those stations don’t necessarily have to provide fast-charging service.
The state also will encourage additional charging stations in busy areas so that drivers don’t have to wait. That could include mobile chargers that could be deployed at one-time events, such as festivals, county fairs and other events, that could draw crowds occasionally in areas that don’t always have high demand.
The program should have a big impact on the state’s 1,870 miles of interstates and help stimulate the electric vehicle market. Right now, federal officials estimate that 80% of charging is done either at home or at work, but adding stations would allow electric vehicle owners to take longer trips without fear of being stranded because their charge expires.
Ms. Fackler said the state is working with electricity suppliers across the state to do what it can to make sure charging rates are fairly uniform across the state. Right now, the state has just over 900 charging sites, but many of them are operated by private companies that can charge various rates and offer fast- or slow-charging facilities.
Registrations for electric and hybrid vehicles in Pennsylvania have grown from 26,826 in 2015 to 81,176 through 2021
