(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa D-O-T has awarded the first round of funding for the National Electric Vehicles Infrastructure program to create a network of electric vehicle charging stations. The EV charging stations include the towns of Percival, Onawa, Shelby, Walnut, Adair, Stuart, DeSoto and Sioux City. The D-O-T’s Deb Arp says the federal program is providing more than seven billion dollars nationwide. “Iowa will be allocated about ten-point-three million ($10.3) per year, totaling over 51 million dollars over the five-year life of the act,” she says. Iowa designated four alternative fuel corridors, Interstates 80, 380, 29, and 35, where the chargers will be installed.

“Seventy-three applications meeting the program requirements were reviewed, requesting over 45-million dollars. Twenty-eight applications have been selected with an intended award amount 16-point-two million dollars and five-point-six million in matching private funds, for total estimated project costs of nearly 22 million dollars,” Arp says. The funding requires the chargers be spaced no more than 50 miles apart and less than one mile from Interstates and highway corridors, and be near restrooms, small businesses, and other amenities.”With just this first cycle, we were able to select projects leaving just a few gaps in the network, remaining toward full build out if all of these sites develop as proposed, our next priority will be to award three to four sites to fill those remaining gaps,” Arp says.

EV charging stations (DOT graphic)

Arp says they can now get started on the planning for the sites. “Our next steps include working with these awardees to execute project agreements and begin the logistics of assisting them through the federal project development process,” Arp says. She says they’ll also conduct some outreach to the remaining gap areas before the next round of funding.

See the list of DOT awards for EV infrastructure sites here: EV-charger-2024-funding-PDF