The Biden-Harris administration announced Tuesday that it will provide $15 million to the city of Houston to install more than 300 new electric vehicle charging stations in low- to moderate-income neighborhoods, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The $15 million comes from a total of over $500 million in grants awarded to cities in 29 different states. The grants were made possible through the $2.5 billion Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program and the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program (NEVI), both created as part of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Texas will receive a total of $16.6 million. Houston will receive the majority of the funds, while the remaining $1.6 million will be allocated to a development authority in San Antonio.
The funds in Houston are intended to provide accessible electric vehicle charging stations at public libraries, community centers and parks within the city. According to the Department of Transportation’s project description, 81 locations and 366 chargers are expected to be installed.
The project’s long-term goal is to encourage electric vehicle ridesharing in low-car neighborhoods to provide access to key destinations. In the announcement, the Department of Transportation explained that these areas were targeted because private companies are unlikely to invest in them without federal funding.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement that the grants would not only provide greater access to public charging stations for electric vehicles, but would also help reduce overall emissions.
“The Biden-Harris administration has taken action to ensure America leads the EV revolution,” he said. “The awards we are announcing today will build on that important work and help ensure the cost savings, health and climate benefits, and jobs of the EV future are secured for Americans across the country.”
According to Reliant Energy, there are currently over 800 charging stations in the greater Houston area, with more than 50 of them free. Most of the stations are operated by Supercharger, ChargePoint, Blink and Tesla Destination, although several other companies also operate in the area.
Since 2021, the number of publicly accessible electric vehicle chargers nationwide has doubled to an estimated 192,000, with another 1,000 being added each week, according to the DOT.
Although neither the announcement nor the specific description of the City of Houston grant provided a timeline for the project, NEVI’s website states that the goal is to have 500,000 chargers nationwide by 2030.
The City of Houston’s Office of Resilience and Sustainability did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the grant.
