Biden administration invests in vehicle charging stations in 19 more Pennsylvania counties

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced on April 4 that it had received $20 million from the federal government that will be used to build out the state’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

“Every federal dollar directed toward EV charging is one step closer to a vision of accessible and reliable infrastructure that supports electric transportation,” PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said in a statement.

The funds will be used to build charging stations in 19 counties. Many of the chargers will be put in place at existing gas stations and hotels that include the brands Wawa, Perkins, Sheetz, and Hampton Inn.

The source of the investment is the 2022 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was signed by President Joe Biden. The infrastructure law created the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, which sends grants to states after they submit plans and those plans are approved by the federal Department of Transportation.

A total of $171.5 million was set aside in the law for Pennsylvania to use over a five-year period. So far, the program has funded a total of 83 vehicle charging projects in 41 counties.

The Biden administration has touted the creation of a national vehicle charging network as a central component of its Investing in America economic agenda. A major goal of the infrastructure law is the creation of a system in which high-speed vehicle charging stations are available no less than every 50 miles along major U.S. highways, freeways, and interstates.

The law requires that charging infrastructure be domestically manufactured and includes language that encourages the use of unionized labor and union apprenticeships for projects.

The administration has also encouraged the use of electric vehicles as part of a commitment to cut carbon dioxide emissions. CO2 gas caused by fossil fuel consumption is the largest of all contributors to global climate change.

According to the Department of Energy, more than $40 billion in investments in electric vehicle components and assembly plants have been announced since Biden took office.

The infrastructure law received bipartisan votes in Congress but was opposed by every Republican in Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation except Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick.

Democrats representing the state in Congress, including Sen. Bob Casey, all voted for the law.

Over $8 billion in funding for Pennsylvania infrastructure has been announced under the law, according to the White House.