Governor Polis and CDOT Celebrate $8.3 Million to Support EV Charging Infrastructure Across the State
DENVER - Today, Governor Polis and the Colorado Department of Transportation praised the Biden Administration for awarding Colorado an $8.3 million grant that will support maintenance for up to 363 electric vehicle charger ports in as many as 197 locations statewide. This funding is in addition to over $60M recently-announced state and federal investments in public EV charging, not including investments by private industry and Colorado utilities, in accessible, reliable, affordable EV-fueling. Colorado's 2023 EV Plan seeks to increase the number of charging ports installed to over 7500 by 2030.
Earlier this morning, Governor Polis spoke at ClimateCon!, a Colorado conference highlighting innovative climate solutions. The Governor emphasized Colorado’s leadership transitioning to 100% renewable energy by 2040 and his focus on combatting climate change and preparing Colorado industries for the impending impacts we are already seeing. Electric Vehicles (EV) and a reliable network of chargers across the state play an important role in building a more sustainable future for all Coloradans.
“Coloradans are buying more electric vehicles than ever. Through state and federal tax credits purchasing an EV is more affordable than ever before. It is important that charging stations are available and convenient for Coloradans. I am thankful for this federal support, which will help ensure Coloradans in all four corners of the state have access to reliable EV chargers,” said Governor Polis
The funding, which the Colorado Department of Transportation will administer, was part of a $150 million package of grants to 20 states announced Thursday by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator will replace or repair roughly 4,500 existing electric vehicle charging ports nationwide. Improving this existing infrastructure is key to the federal goal of having 500,000 EV chargers in the ground and operating by 2030, and Colorado’s goal of supporting a million EVs on the roads by 2030.
“CDOT is grateful to our federal partners for this funding to help us add capacity and confidence to our electric vehicle charging network,” said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew. “This adds to the significant grant support that we have received from the Biden Administration, with support from our congressional delegation, over the past months and years because of the tremendous investment in infrastructure through the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.”
The effort is funded by the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure, or NEVI, program, created as part of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), to help states build convenient, safe, and reliable EV charging infrastructure across the nation.
This federal support builds upon the state's leadership to build a strong charging network. Multiple state agencies are at the forefront of this work. The State of Colorado has awarded approximately $19.3 Million state dollars to create a reliable network of chargers across the state since 2018.
"This money will help ensure that electric vehicle drivers in Colorado have peace of mind that when they stop to recharge, the equipment is in good working order," said Kay Kelly, chief of innovative mobility for the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Earlier this month, the Federal Highway Administration announced grant awards that included $4.9 million for community charging projects in Boulder County and $8.9 million for Colorado State University to build pilot hydrogen fueling stations in three locations along I-25. More federal grant funding opportunities are anticipated over the course of 2024.
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