Over Half a Billion Taxpayer Dollars to Build EV Chargers in Mostly Underserved Communities

Less than a year after the Biden administration dedicated $100 million to repair electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in disadvantaged communities it is giving local governments in dozens of states $521 million to build EV charging ports in mostly underserved areas. It is part of the president’s multi-billion-dollar program to create EV charging infrastructure in urban and rural regions, “particularly in underserved and disadvantaged communities.” The money flows through the Department of Transportation (DOT), which proudly claims that the “number of publicly available Electric Vehicle chargers has doubled since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration.”

The cost to American taxpayers has been exorbitant and it doesn’t even include the fact that the administration is subsidizing the EV industry with a staggering $15.54 billion. That is part of a Department of Energy (DOE) program focused on retooling existing factories for the transition to EVs, which supports good jobs and a just transition to electric cars, according to the agency. The charger initiative is separate and is mainly funded by a $2.5 billion Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program that spits money annually to “strategically deploy publicly accessible electric vehicle charging and alternative fueling infrastructure in the places people live and work—urban and rural areas alike.” Another pot of cash is also available under the multi-million-dollar National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program that provides states with funds to strategically deploy charging stations and establish an interconnected network to facilitate data collection, access, and reliability.

Not surprisingly, Biden’s EV revolution operates under his Justice40 Initiative which requires at least 40% of all federal government investments to flow to “disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened with pollution.” The president signed an executive order within days of taking office to allocate unprecedented public funds to poor minority communities in the name of environmental justice. Over half of the latest $521 million allocation will go to sites located in disadvantaged communities, the DOT confirms in its recent grant announcement. “Investing in these communities creates jobs, reduces transportation costs, and helps mitigate healthcare costs caused by air pollution, while also ensuring all equitable access to EV charging infrastructure,” the agency writes. In the press release Biden Climate Czar Ali Zaidi says building the new charging infrastructure is already creating good-paying union jobs.

Here is where some of the money is going, according to a lengthy list provided by the government. The city of Atlanta, Georgia will receive around $11.8 million to install 50 fast chargers at the Atlanta Airport “to improve asthma related issues in predominately Black and underserved neighborhoods” and to “engage underserved communities to ensure widespread adoption of EVs.” Chicago is getting $15 million to expand charging access, engage community members and develop strategic plans to support “more equitable transportation decarbonization in underserved communities where the private sector is not currently investing in EV infrastructure.” Arizona’s Maricopa County is also receiving $15 million to install publicly accessible charging stations in schools and businesses in an effort “to close gaps and equalize access to EV charging stations.” Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) in northern California is getting $14 million to install chargers at all its managed parking facilities and the project will “prioritize deployment at stations in or near disadvantaged communities.” A few hundred miles south, Los Angeles is getting $15 million to develop a comprehensive network of publicly accessible, community-based chargers “strategically located to directly benefit underserved and Justice40 communities.”

The list goes on and on, with most grants going to improve the quality of life in poor neighborhoods throughout the country, though it is not clear what the EV ownership rate is in marginalized or overburdened communities or the demand for chargers because the government has failed to provide that information. Practically every state is getting a chunk of change to promote EVs and create charging infrastructure in the name of environmental justice.

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