Vermont’s first federally funded EV fast chargers now operational
Governor Phil Scott, Vermont’s congressional delegation, the Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT), top officials from the Federal Highway Administration and Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, and cabinet members, recently announced the opening of the state’s first federally funded public electric vehicle (EV) fast charging station in Bradford. Vermont is the sixth state in the country to install fast chargers under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program.
The four super-fast NEVI charging stations can simultaneously charge 180 kilowatts per hour and are located in a municipal parking lot known as Denny Park at 6 South Main Street in downtown Bradford.
“My team has prioritized EV public chargers for years and put Vermont on the map as a national leader, with the most public charging ports per capita,” said Governor Scott on Tuesday. “Coordinated deployment of these federal funds will help close the remaining gaps in Vermont’s charging network and bring every EV driver closer to the power they need to get to their destination efficiently and conveniently.”
“Vermont has long been a leader in the clean energy transition that is absolutely essential if we are to address the urgent threat of climate change,” said Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Peter Welch, and Congresswoman Becca Balint. “That includes leading the charge in the effective deployment of public electric vehicle charging stations. Today, Vermont has more public charging ports per capita than any other state in the country and, with this new station in Bradford, will become just the sixth state in the country to install these federally funded fast chargers. We were proud to help secure this funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will continue to advance policy that delivers affordable green energy to Vermont and drives us closer to a clean energy future.”
“Charging your electric vehicle should be as easy and convenient as filling up a gas tank, and federal investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help do that by making our EV charging network more accessible for all – here in Vermont and across the country,” said Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt. “Together with states and local agencies, we’re building a bigger and better EV charging network to bring more EV charging stations to communities and along America’s highways.”
The new fast chargers in Bradford complement two existing 50-kilowatt DC fast chargers and a single AC Level 2 charger installed at the site by Norwich Technologies under a grant agreement with the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development. Through an interagency memorandum of agreement and a sole source contract with AOT, Norwich Technologies modified design plans for the site to meet NEVI’s rigorous specifications and will manage operations and maintenance for at least the next five years to ensure the chargers are functional and reliable for EV drivers.
“Interagency coordination has been a distinct feature of Vermont's progress in the transition to clean transportation to date, and the Bradford project is another great example of this,” Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn said. “This is just the beginning. Bradford is the first of 15 locations in this phase of NEVI funding that we’re working to have under contract by the end of the year.”
Vermont will receive $21.2 million from the NEVI program during a five-year period. The first phase focuses on installing fast chargers every 50 miles along the nation’s highway corridors, within one mile of highway exits. NEVI was established through the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, often referred to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The goal of the program is to create a convenient national network of fast EV charging stations to support the use of more electric vehicles and increase equitable access to infrastructure and economic opportunity.
"Vermont's first NEVI station builds upon the Green Mountain State's existing leadership in advancing clean transportation," said Rachael Nealer, deputy director of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office). "The Joint Office is proud to be working collaboratively with Vermont AOT and FHWA to facilitate the deployment of our national charging network that will connect more than 80,000 miles of America’s roads and highways with convenient, reliable fast charging every 50 miles."
The NEVI program provides federal funding for the deployment of charging stations with the balance (a minimum match requirement of 20%) to be met with private dollars by third-party contractors engaged through the State’s procurement process. Private contractors are encouraged to avail themselves of the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit, a recently reauthorized federal tax credit for EV charging, to help stretch Vermont’s share of federal dollars further.
Through May 22, AOT is accepting statements of qualifications from interested parties to develop a short list of vendors qualified to design, build, own, operate, and maintain NEVI-compliant charging. Vendors selected through the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) will be invited to bid on the remaining 14 priority sites.
For additional information about Vermont’s NEVI plan and the RFQ opportunity, visit the AOT website.
– Office of Vermont Gov. Phil Scott
