02.10.22

Durbin, Duckworth Applaud Biden For EV Charging Network Investments, Highlight Job Creation Benefits

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today highlighted that the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) nationwide electric vehicle (EV) charging network investments through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will have important benefits in Illinois, including creating good-paying, local jobs and making it easier for Illinoisans to travel the state and nation. DOT’s investments in EV charging will total nearly $5 billion available over the next five years, including $22 million this year alone in Illinois, to help build out our nation’s electric vehicle charging network. The funding is a result of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which established the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program to help states create a network of EV charging stations along designated Alternative Fuel Corridors, particularly along the Interstate Highway System.

“If we plan to live and work in a true 21st century economy, EV charging must be part of the backbone of our nation’s infrastructure. Illinois has the workforce, institutions, and leadership to play an important role in the EV revolution and with the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, we are poised to lead the nation,” Durbin said. “This funding will provide opportunities for our skilled workers to build and install new EV infrastructure and help make charging accessible to more Illinoisans. Senator Duckworth and I will continue doing all we can to ensure that Illinois has the federal support needed to become an EV leader.” 

“Investments like these will help make electric vehicles more accessible to all Illinoisans—no matter if they live in a big city or a rural community—and is great news for anyone who has an electric vehicle or is considering purchasing one,” Duckworth said. “I’m glad Secretary Buttigieg and President Biden are prioritizing investments that accelerate the shift towards electric vehicles while also strengthening our energy independence and creating good-paying jobs.”

To access these new Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds – and to help ensure a convenient, reliable, affordable, and equitable charging experience for all users – each state is required to submit an EV Infrastructure Deployment Plan to the new Joint Office of Energy and Transportation that describes how the state intends to use its share of NEVI Formula Program funds consistent with Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) guidance.

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