Portman Applauds Announcement of $140 Million to Ohio to Build Electric Vehicle Charging

Funding Made Possible through Portman’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

February 11, 2022

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Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) applauded the announcement by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Department of Energy that they have established the $5 billion new National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program. This program was created through Senator Portman’s bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Ohio will receive $140 million to build out electric vehicle charging stations across the state over the next five years, $20.7 million of which is now available to the state for fiscal year 2022.

“I am pleased that Ohio will receive this critical investment to develop its electric vehicle charging network,” said Senator Portman. “The building of this network will not only provide good-paying jobs for thousands of Ohioans and provide people with a reliable alternative to traditional vehicles, but will also ensure that the United States, and Ohio, remains a leader in EV technology.”

NEVI will help states create a network of electric vehicle charging stations along designated Alternative Fuel Corridors, particularly along the Interstate Highway System. Ohio is home to five federally-designated alternative fuel corridors: SR 13, SR 15, US 23, US 30, and US 33. Ohio has also designated alternative fuel corridors on segments of I-70, I-71, I-75, I-76, I-77, I-80, I-90, I-270, I-275, I-675, and I-680.

The NEVI grant program will help spur further adoption of electric vehicles around the nation. Deployment of more electric vehicle charging stations will help address a critical barrier to further electric vehicle adoption: range anxiety— how many miles can be driven in an EV before the battery would need to be recharged and if a charging station would be available. Particularly in a state like Ohio, where there are urban pockets surrounded by large rural areas, deploying more electric vehicles along our highway network will help address range anxiety.

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