The U.S. Department of Transportation has opened the application process for local governments to receive grants for expanding the U.S.’s electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. The federal program is intended to provide $2.5 billion in discretionary grants over the next five years to support a nationwide EV charging system in communities across the country. The new program is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that provides $7.5 billion for a national EV charging network.

The new program will support local initiatives to adopt and implement ordinances that expand the number of charging stations for EV use, as local governments are increasingly adopting policies to support the electrification of our transportation system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These policies are also intended to promote consumer confidence in a national EV charging system along highways and roads in communities across the country.

Passage of local ordinances and other measures to support transportation electrification will continue at the local level, with varying impact on commercial real estate in those markets. NAIOP members have been engaged in these efforts with local governments to ensure that balanced, sustainable and viable policy outcomes are achieved.