Gov. Andy Beshear announced Thursday Kentucky can receive as much as $10,280,470 in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation for fiscal year 2022 to build an electric vehicle charging network across the state.
The money is part of $5 billion available to states over the next five years under the new federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program, known as NEVI.
“We know that electric vehicles are the way of the future, and Kentucky is going to be at the center of that transition,” said Beshear. “Kentuckians are going to be making the batteries for these cars, and this will ensure we have the infrastructure in place that will allow Kentuckians to drive and enjoy them.”
The Governor is co-chair of the National Governor’s Association’s Economic Recovery and Revitalization Task Force, which recently met with automotive industry leaders to discuss growth in the EV industry and how it can spur job growth and economic development in states that adopt EV infrastructure.
Projects eligible for funding under NEVI include:
• The acquisition and installation of EV charging infrastructure to serve as a catalyst for the deployment of such infrastructure and to connect it to a network to facilitate data collection, access and reliability.
• Proper operation and maintenance of EV charging infrastructure.
• Data sharing about EV charging infrastructure to ensure the long-term success of investments.
States must submit an EV Infrastructure Deployment Plan before they can access these funds.
A second, competitive grant program designed to further increase EV charging access in locations throughout the country, including in rural and underserved communities, will be announced later this year.
The Federal Highway Administration will issue guidance on how states can apply for the funding in coming months.
Last September, Ford Motor Co. and its partner SK Innovation announced they are investing nearly $6 billion and creating 5,000 new jobs to build the BlueOvalSK battery park in Hardin County. The Governor said the plants will be the nation’s largest producer of EV batteries.
Not long after that, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, announced they are investing $461 million to prepare the Georgetown plant for EVs and is welcoming about 1,400 temporary workers to permanent full-time positions.
“These projects are so large that they create their own gravity,” Gov. Beshear stated. “Companies are looking to come to Kentucky to be part of this EV revolution, to help us build out the EV supply chain.”
This is great news for the state, especially for those that have been involved in the electric vehicle market. Hopefully this will convince others to shifting away from more traditional automobiles.