As Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Expands EV Landscape, Merkley, Colleagues Press Transportation Department to Prioritize Affordable, Accessible Charging Stations

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley is joined today by Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Angus King (I-ME), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) in a letter to the Department of Transportation (DOT) urging the Department to adopt measures that ensure grant funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure is used towards charging stations that are affordable and accessible for all Americans.     

“If implemented correctly, the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Grant, the Corridor Charging Grant Program, and the Community Charging Grant Program present a historic opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by incentivizing the mass adoption of EVs,” wrote the Senators. “Successful expansion of EVs through these grant programs requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to adhere closely to the provisions in IIJA that support a straightforward, transparent, and fair process for charging infrastructure.”

To ensure federally-funded EV charging stations are affordable, transparent in pricing, and universally compatible, the Senators strongly recommend DOT requires recipients of EV charging infrastructure funding prioritize the following:

• Interoperability, to ensure that the hardware and software of all charging stations can successfully interface will all electric vehicles in the United States, including both foreign- and domestic-made vehicles;
• Fair pricing that does not exceed a limit above the price per kilowatt hour of electricity on the power grid;
• Pricing transparency so that consumers know the price per kilowatt hour before choosing to charge their vehicle; and
• Ease of use, so that consumers can pay with a credit card at the charging station without subscribing to a program or needing to place a call.

Senator Merkley has been a long-time leader on accelerating America’s transition to electric vehicles to support cleaner air, healthier kids, and reduce our carbon footprint.

Full text of the letter can be found here and follows below:

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March 7, 2022

The Honorable Pete Buttigieg

Dear Secretary Buttigieg:

In order to expedite the expansion of electric vehicles (EV) across the United States, it is important that we build an extensive charging network that works for all Americans. That is why we urge you to administer the charging infrastructure grant programs under the Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act (IIJA) to ensure federally-funded EV charging stations are affordable, transparently priced, and universally compatible. If implemented correctly, the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Grant, the Corridor Charging Grant Program, and the Community Charging Grant Program present a historic opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by incentivizing the mass adoption of EVs.

Successful expansion of EVs through these grant programs requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to adhere closely to the provisions in IIJA that support a straightforward, transparent, and fair process for charging infrastructure. The NEVI Formula Program requires that funds be used to support a network of charging infrastructure that is accessible and reliable and subject to minimum requirements established by the Secretary on priorities such as charging interoperability and publicly available pricing.1 The Corridor Charging Program similarly include provisions on affordability and transparency, among which is the requirement that an applicant demonstrate consideration for “payment methods to ensure secure, convenient, fair, and equal access.”2 The Secretary is also required to consider during the selection process, an applicant’s ability to “support a long-term competitive market for electric vehicle charging infrastructure . . . that does not significantly impair existing electric vehicle charging infrastructure.”3 The Community Charging Grant Program requires the Secretary to consider the extent to which an applicant’s project “contributes to geographic diversity among eligible entities, including achieving a balance between urban and rural communities” and “meets current or anticipated market demands for charging or fueling infrastructure …”[4]

To effectively carry out these provisions, DOT should require that recipients of EV charging infrastructure funding prioritize:

• Interoperability, to ensure that the hardware and software of all charging stations can successfully interface will all electric vehicles in the United States, including both foreign- and domestic-made vehicles;
• Fair pricing that does not exceed a limit above the price per kilowatt hour of electricity on the power grid;
• Pricing transparency so that consumers know the price per kilowatt hour before choosing to charge their vehicle; and
• Ease of use, so that consumers can pay with a credit card at the charging station without subscribing to a program or needing to place a call.

As we invest taxpayer dollars in charging infrastructure, we must ensure this developing market is fair, transparent, and easy-to-use. To uphold this responsibility, it is critical that charging infrastructure grant programs incorporate the priorities outlined above.

I appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to working with you to rapidly transition the United States vehicle fleet.

Sincerely,