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show notes. There's a massive move in the US towards electric vehicles or EVs in the Biden Harris administration has announced A substantial $623 million in grants, and this move is aimed at expanding the EV charging network across the nation, a step that promises to create numerous thousands of American jobs and ensure wider accessibility to EV charging facilities for the rest of us to drive EVs. Now, under President Biden's watch, EV sales have seen a dramatic increase, quadrupling
in numbers publicly available. Charging ports have expanded by nearly 70%, with over 4 million E VS now cruising on American roads. This surge is largely attributed to the administration's historic investments prompting private sector commitments exceeding $155 billion in the EV and battery supply chain. Now the grants come from the bipartisan infrastructure laws $2.5 billion Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program.
This program aims to fund EV charging and alternative fueling infrastructure projects in 22 States and Puerto Rico, including about 7500 new EV charging ports. It's a part of a broader strategy to establish a reliable and high speed EV charging network along most US highways. Now the US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg highlighted this historical significance of this move.
He said America led the arrival of the automotive era and now we have a chance to lead the world in the EV revolution, securing jobs, savings and benefits for Americans in the process. Now this funding will focus on making EV chargers widely
accessible and also dependable. Now, the Federal Highway Administration is allocating $311 million to 36 community projects, including two Indian tribes in Alaska and also in Arizona. These projects concentrate on EV charging and hydrogen fueling infrastructure in various locations like schools, parks and libraries, enhancing the accessibility in both urban and also rural communities.
An additional $312 million is designated for 11 corridor projects situated along alternative fuel corridors. This funding is set to address gaps in the national charging and alternative fueling network, ensuring widespread availability along major roadways. And a significant aspect of these grants is there alignment with President Biden's Justice 40 initiative aiming for 40% of the benefits from federal investments to reach disadvantaged communities.
Notably, more than 70% of the CFI funding announced will support projects in these areas. US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm emphasize the inclusive nature of this initiative. Every community across the nation deserves access to convenient and reliable clean transportation, she stated.
This initiative is a major step in reducing carbon emissions in addressing the climate crisis that we face, and the US Transportation Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg highlighted the different needs for EV charging in communities compared to highways. They said USDOT is proud to make an investment that will provide Americans with convenient, straightforward charging options in their communities. At Federal Highway Administrator Shell and BAT expressed enthusiasm about the grants, too.
They said these investments to the CFI program will grow our national EV charging network, support President Biden's goals of achieving net 0 emissions for the nation by 2050 and promote opportunity for all Americans to enjoy the benefits of EV charging. Now the project selected in this
run of grants are diverse. For instance, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection receives $10 million to build EV charging stations and disadvantaged communities in rural areas focusing on multi family housing and transit stations. Maryland's Clean Energy Center is granted 15,000,000 to established 87 EV charging stations across the state, including at Coppin State University and HBCU in Baltimore and in 34 disadvantaged
communities. This project includes workforce development programs aimed at providing good paying jobs and
apprenticeships. In Texas, a significant $70 million is allocated to the North Central Texas Council of Governments to establish a hydrogen fueling corridor, including up to five stations for medium and heavy duty freight trucks in major cities like Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. Now, California's Contra Costa County receives about $15 million to build 52 fast charging stations and 60 Level 2 chargers at various County
Library branches. Similarly, Energy Northwest in Washington state is funded to install 40 fast chargers and 12 Level 2 chargers, focusing on rural and disadvantaged communities. In the city of Mesa, AZ is another recipient, getting $12 million to build 48 electric vehicle chargers for various vehicle sizes, charging docks for E bikes and E scooters, and solar canomies for electricity
generation at these stations. Now, all EV charges constructed with CFI funds must meet the same minimum standards as those funded by an EVI, including requirements that they are made in America. This ensures A consistent and high quality charging experience across the nation. In the current US, landscape has over 148,000 public charging ports spread across approximately 56,000 charging stations. The ambitious goal is to triple these numbers by 20-30 with the new grant money kick starting
this initiative now. This initiative reflects a transformative step in EU s s approach to transportation and by investing in EV infrastructure and focusing on accessibility, the Biden Harris administration is responding to environmental concerns but also fostering economic growth inequality. It's a significant move towards a cleaner, more inclusive future in the United States for transportation. Hey, thank you so much for listening today. I really do appreciate your
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