State secures NEVI chargers; committee presses on payment options and vendor control
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Summary
AOT told lawmakers USDOT reopened NEVI funding after a pause and AOT has obligated funds to deliver 19 EV charging sites (about 60 plugs). Members want chargers to accept common payment methods; AOT said payment systems are vendor controlled but could be specified in future contracts.
The Committee on Transportation was briefed on Jan. 8 that the federal NEVI program funding is moving forward and that the Vermont Agency of Transportation has obligated dollars to build public electric vehicle charging sites.
Secretary Joe Flynn told the committee that USDOT paused NEVI funding last summer but later "reopened the spigot," allowing AOT to obligate funds. Flynn said the program will deliver 19 new sites and "upwards of perhaps 60 plugs," noting a single site can contain multiple chargers and multiple plugs per charger.
Legislators raised practical questions about payment access at charging stations. One committee member said a bill is being prepared to require credit‑card acceptance at chargers; Flynn and staff explained that point‑of‑sale and payment methods are controlled by the vendor or contractor who operates the stations. Flynn said the agency grants construction money and that contract specifications could eventually require more universal payment options if the technology and procurement language allow it.
AOT also noted related programs — incentives for electric vehicle purchases and e‑bike subsidies — and said those programs have exhausted their original appropriations after high uptake. Flynn asked committee members to separate media rhetoric from the federal program facts and called current federal communications "the most responsive office we've dealt with in a long time." AOT said it will provide more detail on vendor specifications and payment options as contracts are finalized.
