Connecticut could lose more than a million dollars in federal funding intended to bring more electric vehicle charging stations to the state.
The cutbacks, part of a massive transportation bill recently passed by Congress, are part of a more than $500 million rescission to the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program.
The Trump administration says the funding will be reallocated to local highway projects like road and bridge repairs.
State officials say they’re monitoring the immediate impacts on Connecticut, but the clawbacks could derail the state’s plan to bring more chargers into urban and rural communities where they are already hard to find. Connecticut drivers making long road trips could see less chargers on highways in other states.
The rescission – buried in a larger budget debate largely centered around immigration enforcement – is a setback to national efforts to expand EV charging networks.
“They're undermining confidence in a system here,” said Corrigan Salerno, policy manager at Transportation for America, a national nonprofit tracking the NEVI cuts.
And the Trump administration could reduce the NEVI program further, he said.
“They could have this program whittled down each year,” he said with Democrats “maybe not choosing to fight for it as strongly as they can.”
What is the NEVI program?
The NEVI program was originally authorized by the Biden administration to create a national network of direct-current (DC) fast charging stations across the country. DC fast chargers can power electric vehicles up to 80% in 30 minutes or less, making long road trips more doable.
“It’s the kind of rest stop charging that you’d expect to have on rest stops and gas stations along highways,” Salerno said.
“The idea being that with a national network of one of these every 50 miles, there’s not going to be any place in the country that you can’t go,” he said.
Scope of cuts unclear
Under the NEVI program, Connecticut officials expected to receive $52.5 million over five years.
But the money has been slow to move out the door. Some of the funds have already been committed – more than $7 million – to build fast EV charging stations along highways including Interstate 91, Interstate 84, Interstate 395 and Route 7.
Plans for another $20 million are currently being finalized, but the remaining $24.3 million in NEVI funds are being monitored for potential clawbacks, according to Josh Morgan, communications manager for CT DOT.
It’s not immediately clear if all or part of the $24.3 million could be rescinded.
“We have not heard from the Federal Highway Administration on final adjustments,” Morgan said in an email.
Salerno calculates the rescission could be closer to $1.3 million since each state is expected to lose a percentage of funding, based on the amount of federal NEVI funds that remain uncommitted.
That’s enough money to pay for two or three fast charging stations or more than a dozen Level 2 chargers, Salerno said.
What could be lost
Since Connecticut has already committed funds to add fast EV chargers along state highways, it’s likely the rescission would impact the second stage of the NEVI program – bringing more chargers to local communities.
“It’s not great for the people that would have really needed the alternatives that this could have provided,” Salerno said. That includes renters and condo owners who don’t have access to EV charging at home.
“If you live in a multi-family dwelling, there may or may not be a parking lot and if there is, you may not have a dedicated space,” said Barry Kresch, president of the EV Club of Connecticut.
“You have to get the power out there, which is expensive, more than if you’re a renter. It’s more than you could realistically spend,” Kresch said.
Meanwhile, other states that still haven’t spent NEVI funds on highway chargers, could lose money to build out that infrastructure, complicating plans for Connecticut EV drivers who want to go long distances.
“It's going to be a little bit harder for drivers from Connecticut to drive across the country, maybe, say, down to Mississippi if they're using an EV because the network might have some gaps in it as a result of these cuts,” Salerno said.
“At the end of the day,” he said, “it’s American travelers and EV drivers who are losing more options as a result of this.”
Áine Pennello is a Report for America corps member, covering the environment and climate change for Connecticut Public
