Pennsylvania Unlocks $100M for Ev Charging to Expand ev charging in Communities
Pennsylvania has launched a $100 million Community Charging phase of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, a move aimed at bringing publicly accessible chargers into towns and cities; the rollout includes a survey for local businesses and property owners to connect with developers ahead of applications. The state says the initial regional allocation will send roughly $34 million to southeastern counties.
Ev Charging regional rollout plan
The Community Charging phase will distribute the $100 million region by region, beginning in southeastern Pennsylvania where around $34 million will be available for projects. The rollout area for that first round includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Local transportation planning agencies in those areas will decide which specific publicly accessible sites receive priority, and any eligible location in the five counties can apply. PennDOT has also released a survey intended to let businesses, property owners and organizations connect with charging developers and operators before formal applications are submitted.
How funding builds on NEVI
State officials say the new community-focused funding builds on an earlier $54 million already committed to public charging through the NEVI program. To date, Pennsylvania has 29 federally funded stations either built or under construction at an expense of about $17 million, with another 54 stations in planning or construction. PennDOT opened its first NEVI-funded station in December 2023. Since that opening, the federally supported stations have delivered more than 80, 000 charging sessions, enabled an estimated 9. 6 million miles of driving and cut in excess of 2, 000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
Timing, legal status and next steps
More regional funding rounds are scheduled later in the year, with western Pennsylvania slated for a round in April–May 2026 and eastern and central regions expected to open between August and September 2026. Separately, the department is preparing to announce awards from a different NEVI funding round that targets highway corridor chargers; that highway-focused program closed applications on January 30, 2026, and is aimed at stations along major roadways outside previously designated Alternative Fuel Corridors to improve long-distance electric vehicle travel across the state.
The Community Charging expansion is unfolding while federal NEVI funding is entangled in a legal dispute. The U. S. Department of Transportation is withholding congressionally approved NEVI funds, and the state has taken legal action challenging the funding freeze. Pennsylvania was also part of a multistate legal effort last summer that led to the reinstatement of the NEVI program, enabling projects under the program to proceed.
Key takeaways
- State has set aside $100 million for community EV stations, starting with ~ $34 million for the southeast.
- PennDOT’s survey invites businesses and property owners to engage with developers before applying.
- NEVI activity so far: 29 stations built/under construction, 54 more planned, and measurable charging usage since launch.
If the federal withholding of NEVI funds continues, planned regional rollouts and corridor awards may face delays; conversely, successful legal outcomes and finalized awards would allow the Community Charging round and highway corridor projects to proceed on the current schedule.
