A federal judge, in June, blocked the Trump administration from withholding funds meant to pay for the installation of electric vehicle (EV) chargers in 14 states. U.S. District Judge Tana Lin ruled that “the government overstepped their Constitutional authority” by refusing to disperse dollars that are part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed by former President Biden.
“Congress appropriated $5 billion to fund a National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, the purpose of which was – and still is – ‘to strategically deploy electric vehicle charging infrastructure and to establish an interconnected network to facilitate data collection, access, and reliability,’” Lim’s order stated.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) suspended the program in February, rescinding approval of state plans pending a review, according to Reuters. Under Lim’s order, EV infrastructure plans will be restored in Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin. Lim also said that attorneys failed to prove immediate harm following the DOT’s decision in Minnesota, the District of Columbia, and Vermont.
Source: The Hill
