Biden-Harris Administration Outlines Action Plan to Build Out EV Charging Infrastructure

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Today, The Biden-Harris administration published a fact sheet on its electric vehicle charging action plan. It outlines steps federal agencies are taking to support the development and deployment of EV chargers in American communities across the country.

Last month, Biden signed a $1 trillion infrastructure bill into law. Among its provisions is the establishment of a Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, envisioned as a collaboration between the two agencies to “collect input and guidance from industry leaders, manufacturers, workers, and other stakeholders that will ensure the national network provides convenient charging for all.” Projects include increasing public confidence in electric vehicles by building out a convenient, reliable, affordable public charging network and bringing EV charging to rural, disadvantaged, and hard-to-reach communities.

The administration’s aim is to install half a million public EV chargers across the country (there are currently about 100,000 on the road). To this end, the infrastructure bill earmarks $7.5 billion: two thirds to help states fund charging-network construction and one third for grants that encourage innovation.

This initiative is designed to help achieve Biden’s push for half of all US car sales to be electric by 2030. Other aspects of the plan include:

• Requesting input from a diversity of stakeholders, including state and local governments, domestic manufacturing, equity and environmental justice organizations, civil rights groups and tribal communities.
• Developing guidance and standards to ensure the network is built out in accordance with priorities such as
• Consulting manufacturers, automakers and labor on how best to maintain domestic sourcing of component parts.
• Sustainably manufacturing EV batteries with environmentally responsible sourcing and recycling practices. 

The administration expects the plan to confer a number of benefits, such as reducing tailpipe pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, creating well-paying jobs, increasing transportation equity, spurring private-sector investment, and modernizing the transportation economy.

Earlier this month, Biden issued an executive order pledging the government to ambitious climate targets, including 100% carbon-free electricity by 2030, complete zero-emissions vehicle acquisitions by 2035, and country-wide carbon neutrality by 2050. With regard to the latter, the federal government recently released a long-term strategy along with an Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience, which together detail strategies and funding to decarbonize the American economy.