New Tesla EV Charging Station Funded for New Castle
NEW CASTLE, Pa. – A new electric vehicle charging hub is coming to the Sheetz station just off Exit 13 along Interstate 376.
The site was among 54 projects across 35 counties in Pennsylvania awarded funds through the National Electrical Vehicle Infrastructure program, officials announced Monday.
Tesla Inc. will receive $220,898 to build a new charging center at the site, according to a list of approved projects released by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation on Monday. The station will be equipped with four charging ports.
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll, Federal Highway Administration Deputy Andrew Rogers and members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers made a formal announcement in Scranton.
The first round of funding constitutes a $33.8 million federal investment and is part of the total $171.5 million the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will receive for electric vehicle charging infrastructure over five years through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“Our team worked diligently to meet federal NEVI requirements while also spreading opportunities among various companies and communities,” Carroll said. “These new investments will create good-paying jobs and allow Pennsylvanian residents, businesses and visitors to travel across the Commonwealth faster, cleaner and more reliably.”
Twenty-two of the projects are in or within half a mile of state or federally designated disadvantaged communities.
“Thanks to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, we can strengthen and expand our electric vehicle charging infrastructure,” Casey said. “This funding will allow us to deploy electric vehicle charging stations across our Commonwealth, from cities to suburbs to rural areas, promoting energy security, creating jobs, and reducing our carbon footprint.”
The first round of funding expands EV charging along the previously designated Alternative Fuel Corridors and Interstate lookalikes. Per the guidance from U.S. DOT, NEVI formula funds must first be used to “build out” designated AFCs – meaning there must be no more than 50 miles between stations and less than 1 mile from an AFC exit – and meet federal minimum standards and requirements.
“With federal investments made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Pennsylvania is taking a critical step forward as states across our nation begin deploying EV chargers for the communities they serve,” Rogers said.
The NEVI funds support the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of charging sites. The program is a reimbursement program, and applicants are required to provide a minimum 20% match. PennDOT received 271 unique funding submissions requesting $165.4 million for this round of investments.
Pictured at top: A Tesla EV charging station. (AP photo)
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
