Utah expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure

A total of 15 sites across Utah, including a Pilot Flying J Travel Center in Snowville, will be outfitted with new fast-charging stations for electric vehicles.

The sites will be paid for by grants through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program. Utah is receiving $36 million in federal funding. Combining this with private funds, the state will invest a total of $43 million in its electric vehicle charging infrastructure, state officials say.

These sites are funded through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program and because we are entering into public-private partnerships to implement the project, no state taxpayer dollars are being used in this phase.

Road trippin’ with EVs just got easier. 💪

— Utah DOT (@UtahDOT) November 14, 2023

The Utah Department of Transportation said in a news release that adding these sites will double Utah’s electric vehicle fast-charging network, and by the end of 2024, electric vehicle owners will be able to travel anywhere along Utah interstates as well as U.S. Highways 6 and 191 with access to fast chargers.

“The future is coming, and these 15 new charging sites will ensure Utah will be ready for it,” said Carlos Braceras, UDOT executive director. “Building out the statewide charging network really opens the door to let Utahns choose to travel where they want, when they want, in the way they want.”

While owned and operated by private companies, the chargers will be accessible to the public 24/7.

The map below shows the charging locations as well as the private entities that have been provided conditional awards.

Utah will initially spend $17.5 million to provide public access to fast-electric chargers every 50 miles along interstate highways in the state.

This initial phase is focused on light-duty electric vehicles, but the state has submitted a grant application for funding for its medium and heavy-duty electric vehicle charging infrastructure, Lyle McMillan, director of strategic investments for UDOT, told Land Line.

The news release said taxpayer dollars will not be used as UDOT enters into a public-private partnership to implement the project.

Federal program

Enacted in November 2021, the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program was established to provide funding to states for electric vehicle charging stations.

Funding up to 80% is available to cover:

• The acquisition, installation and network connection of EV charging stations to facilitate data collection, access and reliability
• Proper operation and maintenance of EV charging stations
• Long-term EV charging station data sharing

The charging stations paid for by funds from this program must be non-proprietary, must allow for open-access payment methods, must be publicly available, must be accessible to authorized commercial motor vehicle operators for more than one company and must be located along the Federal Highway Administration’s designated alternative fuel corridors.

More Land Line news coverage of Utah.