From staff reports
Fifty-four projects in 35 counties, including two in Venango County, were selected to expand access to electric vehicle charging, according to a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation news release.
The Emlenton Truck Plaza and TravelCenters of America in Harrisville, both of which are off Interstate 80, will benefit in the first round of conditional awards for federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) funding, the release said.
Funding for the Emlenton Truck Plaza is $456,318; funding for the TravelCenters of America location is $1.1 million, according to the release.
That local funding is part of $171.5 million that PennDOT will receive and distribute for EV charging infrastructure over five years through the federal Infrastructure Law.
Four federally compliant charging ports will be funded at each charging location with 216 total funded charging ports, the release said. Twenty-two of the projects are in or within a half-mile of state or federally designated disadvantaged communities.
A National Environmental Policy Act public involvement process will begin for each project, according to the release.
Projects can begin after those processes are successfully completed and agreements with each recipient are executed. Some projects could begin as early as late this year.
The state’s NEVI program includes multiple rounds of funding, the release said.
During the first round, the focus was on building out the network of alternative fuel corridors along the interstates to meet NEVI requirements. Once fully built, PennDOT will expand NEVI formula program funding to fund right-sized EV chargers.
NEVI is a reimbursement program and applicants are required to provide a minimum 20% match, according to PennDOT, which received 271 unique funding submissions requesting $165.4 million for this round of investments.
On Aug. 1, PennDOT submitted its Federal Fiscal Year 2024 NEVI Plan Update for federal review. The public may share input on the plan through an online survey or by emailing ra-pdevcorridors@pa.gov.
