Despite continued attempts from the Trump administration to halt federal funding for climate action, Oregon officials say the state expects to receive $26 million, half of what the state was originally awarded, to build out fast electric vehicle chargers later this year.
But that funding may not make its way to Oregon. State officials are operating based on the belief the agency will be reimbursed for those funds that were promised in a signed contract 鈥� while some in Washington, D.C., say they are not convinced the Trump administration will pay those bills.
The aims to build out a network of public DC fast chargers, which can take an electric vehicle from zero to 80% charged in about 20 minutes, throughout frequently used highway corridors. It was created through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021. But last month, the Trump administration halted all federal funding being dispersed from the law through an executive order.
Even though the state of the program is up in the air, Oregon Department of Transportation staff.
鈥淲e worked with the Federal Highway Administration to obligate the $26.1 million, which was all that Federal Highway Administration would allow us to obligate prior to the executive orders,鈥� Brett Howell, ODOT鈥檚 transportation electrification coordinator said. When funds are obligated, that means the federal agency has provided approval for work and agreed to reimbursement to start for new and existing projects.
But Howell said the agency received a letter from the U.S Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration on suspending further approval of the NEVI program.
The letter states, 鈥淭herefore, effective immediately, no new obligations may occur under the NEVI Formula Program until the updated final NEVI Formula Program Guidance is issued and new State plans are submitted and approved. 鈥� Until new guidance is issued, reimbursement of existing obligations will be allowed in order to not disrupt current financial commitments.鈥�
Of the $26.1 million the state expects to receive, Oregon has already awarded $10.5 million in competitive grants through the program, Howell said.
鈥淲e awarded $10.5 million and we鈥檙e not waiting to move forward with that,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e fully intend on honoring the commitments we made to those companies and we鈥檙e actually in the process of signing grant agreements with them right now.鈥�
