Arizona is making progress deploying its share of federal funding secured under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program. Created by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the NEVI Program designated $5 billion for states to build out a nationwide EV charging network over the next five years.
As the entity responsible for administering Arizona’s portion of NEVI funds, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has taken critical steps to develop their EV Infrastructure Deployment Plan since securing funding in early 2022. This plan outlines ADOT’s strategy for using NEVI dollars to reduce range anxiety along highway corridors.
Federal guidance requires NEVI funding be used exclusively for fast chargers (minimum 100kW) positioned at half-mile intervals along designated Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFCs). In the first year, ADOT submitted seven additional highway segments for AFC designation. This brought the total interstates and highways potentially eligible for charger subsidies to over 1,000 miles.
During Summer 2023, ADOT held coordination meetings with representatives from federal land management agencies, tribes and state partners. These discussions helped pinpoint new fast-charging needs in sparsely populated areas outside metropolitan regions that are challenging to electrify without public support.
Engaging the public has also been a focus. Over 500 people turned out to five in-person open houses in late 2022. Virtual meetings and online surveys further solicited feedback from communities along proposed AFCs. Consistent asks from the public included chargers in rural towns, parks and rest areas frequented by tourists.
Drawing on these contributions, ADOT’s 2023 deployment plan update presents preliminary plans to install over a dozen new fast-charging plugs at rest areas and fuel stops over the next two years using NEVI funds. The agency also aims to substantially upgrade several existing stations with slower chargers to meet the program’s 100kW minimum.
Coordination is ongoing with electric cooperatives and private charging companies on siting logistics. When construction begins in 2024, Arizona’s electric highway network will be another step closer to reality – bolstering both zero-emissions transportation and tourism across the Grand Canyon State.
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