Are you constantly looking for a public charging station while driving your electric vehicle? Even though there are more than 150 of them in the Lehigh Valley, there are still gaps in the system.
On Thursday, PennDOT announced that it is accepting applications for businesses and organizations that are interested in setting up such stations across the eastern part of the state. PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said the $32 million investment is part of the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program that will place community EV charging stations.
“This should result in the establishment of somewhere in the neighborhood of 80 or 85 charging stations throughout that region,” he said.
He said funding is expected to help create stations at locations such as grocery stores, medical facilities, places of worship, libraries and public parking. Federal NEVI funds will cover 80% of the cost for approved charging station projects.
Applications are being taken through March 12 for those interested, including local governments and businesses. Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration is directing more than $100 million in federal funding to build public EV charging stations across the state in addition to the $58 million already invested.
The funding comes from the 2021 federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Carroll was joined at the podium by Becky Bradley, executive director of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, and Heather Heeter, chair of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce Transportation Committee. Both organizations will be active in trying to get a lion’s share of those stations to the Valley.
“For the Lehigh Valley, this investment is more than electric vehicle charging stations,” Heeter said. “It’s about economic competitiveness, infrastructure readiness and preparing our transportation network for the future.”
Heeter said that strategic placement of charging infrastructure not only supports local businesses, it reinforces the Lehigh Valley “as a connected and forward-thinking region.”
Bradley said the investment is coming at a time when the Lehigh Valley is trying to protect the region’s environment as it continues to see continued growth. The LVPC and the Lehigh Valley Transportation Study have come out with a plan — Pathway to a Resilient Greater Lehigh Valley — to address those challenges.
The report says the Lehigh Valley has 12.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions with 32% coming from transportation, the second highest amount after the industrial section. If nothing is done, that would go up to nearly 14 million tons by 2050.
The goal is to reduce emissions by 1.4 million metric tons by 2030, and the NEVI program could help accomplish that goal.
Bradley also said the LVPC surveyed the community on where they want to see new EV charging stations. More options are a priority.
“What we heard is that convenience and accessibility really matter,” she said. “People want charging where they’re already going, where they shop, work and recreate. Building community charging into the major investments the commonwealth continues to make along the highway network achieves everyone’s goals, supporting air quality improvements and our growing economy.”
Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds said additional availability would help increase the number of EVs on the road.
“As a city, we’ve wanted to move forward more and more with the purchase of EV vehicles, but the infrastructure has not existed,” he said. “And a lot of this comes down to culture, and this idea that once we start investing in it, once we start showing that it’s working, other people want that.”
Morning Call reporter Evan Jones can be reached at ejones@mcall.com.