Public feedback sought on NC’s electric vehicle charging stations | News
State transportation officials want the public’s feedback on deploying the second phase of electric vehicle charging stations in North Carolina.
The N.C. Department of Transportation will host a webinar that will cover the requirements and the benefits of having EV chargers in communities on Wednesday, June 26 from 3-4:30 p.m.
“We encourage participation in our program from anyone with an interest in transportation,” said Heather Hildebrandt, NCDOT’s statewide initiatives supervisor. “Public input is an important part of our efforts to build out electric vehicle charging infrastructure in a manner that serves everyone from the mountains to the coast.”
During the upcoming webinar, registered participants may give their opinions on the program, including how NCDOT should engage with communities.
The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program aims to create additional charging infrastructure as more people convert from gas- to electric-powered vehicles. It was established by the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law which provides nearly $5 billion to help states create a network of 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations.
North Carolina has received $109 million in NEVI funds to develop a statewide network of charging stations along interstates, major highways and in communities. The buildout of EV charging infrastructure will occur in two phases within the next seven years.
During the past three months, NCDOT collected more than 30 bids from businesses applying for NEVI funds to build out EV chargers as part of the first phase of development. After an extensive evaluation of the bids, NCDOT staff expect to select the winning bids for Phase 1 by September, Hildebrandt said.
NCDOT plans to post a recording of the webinar to the agency’s YouTube channel by July 3. Everyone who registers will receive an email with where to view the recording once it is available. NCDOT plans to host more virtual and in-person meetings on the NEVI program.
To learn more visit NCDOT’s NEVI webpage at www.ncdot.gov/initiatives-policies/environmental/climate-change/NEVI/Pages/.
