A nationwide EV charging network

PHOTO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (right) joins U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, and members of Congress to announce historic funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to establish a nationwide electric vehicle (EV) charging network, February 10, 2022.

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Dear Friend,

Yesterday, I was proud to join U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, the White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy—and a fully electric Ford Mustang Mach-E—as they formally announced historic levels of funding that will allow us to establish the new nationwide network of electric vehicle charging stations. American union workers will build this national charging network with American steel, American parts, and American ingenuity.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will provide nearly $5 billion over five years to help states create a network of EV charging stations along designated Alternative Fuel Corridors, particularly along the Interstate Highway System. As part of this larger initiative, New Mexico is expected to receive $38 million over the next five years to support the expansion of an EV charging network in our state. New Mexico will also have the opportunity to apply for additional funding through the $2.5 billion in competitive grant funding dedicated to EV charging created by the new law.

PHOTO: Standing next to a Ford Mustang Mach-E, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announces how billions of dollars of investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will create a nationwide EV charging network, February 10, 2022.

I am confident that this nationwide vehicle charging network will greatly accelerate the adoption of EVs and help us meet President Biden’s target of making half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 zero-emissions vehicles, including battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, or fuel cell electric vehicles.

I was also pleased that the Biden administration released a guide, Charging Forward: A Toolkit for Planning and Funding Rural Electric Mobility Infrastructure, which will help connect rural communities with partners needed for these EV charging projects. This new toolkit brings rural New Mexico communities to the table so that they too can reap the job and economic opportunities from the new EV charging network. It contains best practices for planning EV charging networks and tips to navigate federal funding and financing to help make these projects a reality.

It’s exciting to see how much EV technology has taken off since the days when, as a mechanical engineering student in college, I was part of a team that designed and raced a carbon fiber solar car called the Sun Tiger from Dallas all the way up to Minneapolis. As more Americans adopt EVs in the coming decade, we will create many good-paying American jobs, help drivers save money on fuel, and help save our climate in the process.

Sincerely,

MARTIN HEINRICH
United States Senator