The Biden administration has already begun a project in which they plan to distribute millions of dollars throughout the country in order to invest in and expand the electric vehicle charging network. This is being done as a way to ideally drive more people towards making the switch from gas powered vehicles to electric vehicles. The administration is set to issue its second grouping of funds, this time specifically focusing on underprivileged communities and freight trucks.
This round of handing out funds will total $623 million.
$15 million of the $623 million will be going to Maryland. Most of this funding is designated to be used to build more and better charging stations for personal vehicles. However, there is a small portion of it that will be put towards bettering the future of electric trucks, specifically transport trucks. The Biden administration advocates for a focus on reducing emissions produced by trucks, as they are one of the biggest perpetrators of high amounts of emissions.
The Deputy Secretary of U.S. Transportation, Polly Trottenberg, spoke on the specific places they see room for improvement. Specifically, the Department of Transportation is wanting to reduce emissions, or even entirely decarbonize, from trucks in the country, but also from the maritime industry. She also spoke about how exclusive the electric vehicle industry was before due to the price points of the vehicles, but noted that they are starting to decrease, making ownership of an electric vehicle more possible for the average person.
$70 million was given to a Texas based organization to develop alternatives to gasoline for large vehicles.
The money was granted to the North Central Texas Council of Governments by the Department of Transportation. The funds are to specifically build five hydrogen fuel stations in five major Texas cities. California also received a large budget, $20 million, to be used for the same reason.
The Governor of Maryland, Wes Moore, spoke proudly on January 12 when giving a speech about the funds. He said that in order for any real progress to be made towards healing our country, there is more to it than just setting a goal. Specifically, he said, “It’s not just about setting bold goals; it’s putting together a plan to be able to accomplish them.” With his help, Maryland has developed a plan to build 58 charging stations around the state.
