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Louisiana to Receive Approximately $75 Million for Electric and Alternative Fuel Vehicle Infrastructure

February 17, 2022

On February 16, 2022, The Office of the Louisiana Governor announced that the state is set to receive approximately $75 million over the next five years for electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), with $14.1 million allocated this fiscal year. This is part of President Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure bill, which calls for the installation of chargers along highways and in rural areas to support domestic manufacturing jobs while also making EVs more accessible and affordable for working families. The Federal Highway Administration requires a minimum of a 20% state match for federal funds.To close the funding gap, DOTD will create an EV charging infrastructure deployment grant program as well as an alternative fuel vehicle infrastructure grant program if there is enough private sector interest in hydrogen, natural gas, additional EV, or propane fueling infrastructure.

DOTD will begin developing grant programs and will seek applications over the next year. In the second year, the department will make awards, monitor and inspect installations, and identify and correct weaknesses in grant programs for future rounds of solicitation and awards.

“This investment is a step in the right direction to help Louisiana achieve its climate goals of becoming net zero by 2050, and I am thankful to Sen. Bill Cassidy and Congressman Troy Carter for their work in making this a reality,” said Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards. “We have to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit the impacts of climate change, which harms the state’s natural resources. One of the biggest changes in a low-carbon future will be seen in the way we travel. By making electric vehicles affordable to the daily commuter, and having the infrastructure to accommodate this, Louisiana can transition to using more renewable energy sources. These changes won’t come overnight, but this investment will help us in our efforts to reach these goals.”

“We aim to have Louisiana become a competitor in EVs, and in doing so want to convert the appropriate allocation of “gas” station assets into “fuel” stations where a wide variety of fuels are available, electricity for recharging EV batteries being one of them,” said Louisiana DOTD Secretary Shawn D. Wilson. “Once again, I’d like to thank Sen. Bill Cassidy and Congressman Troy Carter for their support of the IIJA bipartisan bill which will help the state move infrastructure projects forward.”

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