Wisconsin residents and businesses spend over $7 Billion annually importing fossil fuels for the state’s transportation sector (Wisconsin doesn’t produce petroleum). A new Federal Program that supports Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations can help reduce fossil fuel imports and retain billions of dollars currently leaking out of the state’s economy.

The Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) program is the first round of funding from the $2.5 Billion discretionary budget for EV charging infrastructure allocated by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The CFI provides $700 million to cities, counties, local governments, and tribes to build publicly accessible EV charging infrastructure in the current fiscal year.

The CFI program offers up to 80% of the cost of building community and neighborhood charging infrastructure in urban and rural communities and charging stations along designated highways.

Eligible applicants include states, municipal planning organizations (MPOs), local governments, public authorities with transportation functions, tribal governments, authorities owned by one or more entities of government, and states or local entities with ownership of publicly accessible transportation facilities. Private entities can participate in projects if contracted with a public entity.

Eligible entities can apply here. Applications are due by May 30, 2023.

Qualified applicants may contact Francisco Sayu, Emerging Technologies Director RENEW Wisconsin at francisco@renewwisconsin.org, for more information.

In addition, the Electrification Coalition provides a “suite of resources” to help communities apply for funding. And, The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation offers technical assistance to states, communities, and tribes implementing projects under the CFI Program.