The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation recently issued $37 million to support the construction of publicly accessible electric vehicle or EV chargers in the Southeastern portion of the state: encompassing Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties.
[Above photo via the City of Philadelphia]
That funding – part of the Community Charging phase of the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure or NEVI program – should help bring 515 new public EV charging ports online in the region, which includes the City of Philadelphia.
“[Governor] Shapiro’s administration hit the ground running with EV funding and the results speak for themselves,” said Mike Carroll, PennDOT secretary, in a statement. “Delaware Valley residents and travelers will soon have access to more than 500 new EV chargers in their communities.” Through the funding rounds offered via the Community Charging program, Pennsylvania is directing over $100 million total in federal funding to build public EV charging stations in Pennsylvania communities, in addition to the $58 million already invested in the state’s Alternative Fuel Corridors and Corridor Connections programs.
This $37 million award follows similar funding distributions by PennDOT for the Eastern, Central, Western regions of the state earlier this year – including a previous round for the Southeastern region as well.
The agency noted that local transportation planning agencies determine and prioritize specific areas within the region for EV charger investment, but all publicly available locations within the region are eligible to apply.
“These awards expand opportunity for Southeastern PA visitors and residents alike by reducing range anxiety for current EV owners and making EV ownership possible for others,” said Ariella Maron, executive director of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. “[We] applaud PennDOT’s leadership in expanding transportation options across Pennsylvania and serving as a national leader in NEVI implementation.”
“This grant will expand access to EV charging across Philadelphia and help grow ChargePHL, our public charging program” added Christopher Puchalsky, director of policy and strategic initiatives for the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems. “By investing in EV infrastructure, we’re supporting job opportunities in the growing clean energy sector, while bringing convenient charging opportunities to more communities. We are grateful to PennDOT for its partnership in building a greener Philadelphia”
Electric Vehicles
