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State outlines NEVI rollout: 28 EV charging sites funded, second solicitation planned
Summary
Agency staff told the Senate Transportation committee it has obligated federal NEVI funds for 28 charging locations, awarded $8 million for eight sites in the first solicitation and plans a second solicitation this spring for roughly 19 more sites supported by $13 million remaining.
An environmental policy and sustainability manager told the Senate Transportation committee the agency has obligated federal funding for 28 electric-vehicle charging locations and is preparing a second solicitation to finish a statewide NEVI network.
"We've got 28 locations that we have obligated funds for," the Environmental policy and sustainability manager said, noting the agency deployed $8 million through awards for an additional eight sites and expects to use the remaining $13 million to target about 19 more locations in the next solicitation.
The presentation said NEVI funding includes a $21 million National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure apportionment and $2 million in ARPA funds. Staff said the agency moved quickly through its first solicitation after federal guidance was clarified in 2025 and that projects from the first round should be built out by the end of the calendar year.
Committee members pressed staff about how the state counts charging capacity. The manager confirmed that privately owned but publicly available chargers are included in the agency's inventory and that the committee can receive a fuller presentation of the annual NEVI report, which the agency submitted Jan. 15.
Staff described practical hurdles to deployment: finding willing site hosts, completing separate vendor-site-host agreements, and upfront equipment costs for vendors that are paid on a reimbursement basis. The agency currently works with two vendors and said some contractors backed out during 2025.
On location selection, staff said the agency identified proposed sites to meet state spacing goals along primary corridors; proposed points may shift, but solicitations will target site hosts within a short distance of the proposed exit locations.
The EPS manager said meeting "fully built out" requirements for the initial nine constructed sites gives the state more flexibility on equipment configurations for later solicitations — for example, allowing different mixes of fast chargers and Level 2 units to encourage more bids.
Staff also said federal Buy America rules and other evolving federal requirements are on the agency’s radar and could affect later solicitations. Committee members suggested asking the congressional delegation to review restrictions about charging at rest areas; staff said rest-area vending/sales rules complicate direct charging operations there.
The agency plans to issue the second NEVI solicitation in mid-to-late spring; staff said they hope sites awarded in that round will be under contract by the end of the fiscal year and constructed the following construction season.
