July 22, 2024
Administrator Shailen Bhatt
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
Gabriel “Gabe” Klein
Joint Office of Energy and Transportation
1000 Independence Avenue SW
Washington, DC 20585
Dear Administrator Bhatt and Mr. Klein,
As a unique coalition of electric vehicle (EV) advocates, environmental and science non-profits, grassroots and grasstops advocates, a clean technology consortium, and environmental, climate, and social justice advocates, we are writing to express our appreciation for the Administration’s recent action on the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program.
According to the EPA, transportation is the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions in the nation. We view electrification of our transportation sector alongside a transportation mode-shift as key policies to address our greenhouse gas emissions and fulfill the Biden Administration’s ambitious climate and equity goals. The CFI program was created to accelerate the deployment of publicly accessible electric vehicle charging and alternative fueling infrastructure in the places people live and work, in urban and rural areas.
After multiple discussions with the FHWA and the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (JOET) addressing concerns around flexibility in program eligibility, we sent a letter in January highlighting key reforms we sought to address critical gaps in EV infrastructure through the CFI program.
In the new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the program released in May 2024, we were heartened to see language indicating FHWA provides multimodal hubs, including shared-use fleets and services, neighborhood and multi-family charging, and paid parking garages as eligible projects. We have recommended both the NEVI and CFI programs to expand eligible infrastructure past the 1-mile restriction in the past and are happy to see the Corridor Program expanding eligibility to 5 miles off the Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFC).
Finally, we recommended the FHWA streamline the application process and provide
additional technical assistance. By encouraging non-awarded Round 1 applicants to reapply, the FHWA is providing continued opportunities for communities striving for cleaner mobility options while conscious of the capacity constraints a full re-application may have. We encourage the FHWA to provide rolling responses to questions received through the open NOFO process to better provide technical assistance to interested entities.
We also appreciate the Joint Office’s efforts to support continued innovation in EV charging infrastructure through the recently announced Communities Taking Charge Accelerator with its focus on solving for drivers without home charging, expanding fleet electrification and supporting managed charging solutions. We thank you for embedding these critical policy priorities into this year’s funding opportunity.
We, the undersigned organizations, thank you for acting swiftly on this issue and taking steps that will speed our transition to zero-emission transportation and support a modeshift in America. We will continue to track the impact of these changes implemented to ensure they create successful outcomes. Our coalition is here to assist your teams in implementing successful programs.
Sincerely,
Clean Energy Works
East Metro Strong
Ecology Center (of Michigan)
Environmental Law & Policy Center
EV Charging for All Coalition
Evergreen Action
Forth
GreenLatinos
GrowSmart Maine
International Parking & Mobility Institute (IPMI)
It’s Electric, Inc.
League of Conservation Voters
Mobilify Southwestern Pennsylvania
New Urban Mobility alliance (NUMO)
North American Bikeshare and Scootershare Association (NABSA) Plug In America
re:Charge
Reno + Sparks Chamber of Commerce
Sacramento Electric Vehicles Association
Sierra Club
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
Southern Environmental Law Center
Transportation for America Voltpost