Idaho can expect more electric vehicle charging stations soon as it tries to fill gaps
A program to build out Idaho’s electric vehicle charging network received federal approval Tuesday, granting the state about $10.8 million to finalize a framework that includes when and where hundreds of new public stations could be installed in the coming years.
Idaho is eligible for as much as $30 million over the next five years to contribute to President Joe Biden’s ambitious goal of establishing fast-charging ports at least every 50 miles along the U.S. interstate system, and within a mile of the highway offramps. The EV charger dollars come by way of the $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure package passed by Congress and signed into law by Biden in November.
The law’s $5 billion investment in the national charging network is a key piece of the president’s target to cut U.S. vehicle emissions by at least half of what they were in 2005. The transportation sector accounts for a third of all greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., making it the nation’s largest single contributor to global warming, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Removing more fossil fuel-burning trucks and automobiles from the roadways by giving Americans confidence in the convenience and reliability of electric vehicles will help accomplish that objective, the administration said in a news release about the approval.
“America led the original automotive revolution in the last century, and today, thanks to the historic resources in the president’s bipartisan infrastructure law, we’re poised to lead in the 21st century with electric vehicles,” U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said in the release.
Idaho’s plan calls for prioritizing new fast chargers, known as Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFCs), along its state and federal highways, as well as stations at heavily trafficked tourism destinations and in rural and disadvantaged communities that act as important transportation routes.
“Availability of DCFCs throughout large rural areas between urban centers is vital to connect drivers with popular travel destinations and rural areas. DCFC infrastructure will provide convenient access to Idaho’s visitor destinations while providing economic growth to Idaho’s rural economies,” Idaho’s approved plan reads.
Presently, the state counts 108 public charging stations, with a total of 270 ports, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. That places Idaho 42nd in the U.S. for available stations, according to prior Idaho Statesman reporting.
Most of Idaho’s existing chargers are located in and around Ada County. Through July, that’s also where the majority of the state’s 4,500 electric vehicles are registered.
Idaho’s plan reports that the state’s largest gaps in fast charger availability are between Lewiston and Boise, at 267 miles, and Coeur d’Alene to Lewiston, at 124 miles — each along U.S. 95. At 116 miles along Interstate 84, Mountain Home to Heyburn is the third-longest distance without fast-charging service.
Idaho also has been one of the slower states to adopt EVs, in the bottom 10, though it experienced recent gains, at about 68% growth in registrations statewide compared to roughly the same time last year.
What comes next in Idaho?
To provide adequate charging coverage for more than 163,300 electric vehicles — roughly 10% of Idaho’s count of more than 1.7 million total registered vehicles — the U.S. Department of Energy projects the state will need about 4,300 public charging ports. Under this scenario, almost another 2,600 ports at private workplaces will be needed, for a total of nearly 7,000 charging ports statewide.
Fast chargers range in price between $100,000 and $150,000. The variation in cost of installation is based on factors such as supply chain issues and existing electrical infrastructure at specific locations, Rich Stover, administrator of the Idaho Office of Energy and Mineral Resources, told the Statesman.
Idaho was among the final 17 states to earn the Federal Highway Administration’s blessing for its charger deployment program. The rest of the nation, including Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, obtained the needed approval for federal infrastructure dollars to move forward earlier this month.
“With this green light, states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico can ramp up their work to build out EV charging networks that will make driving an EV more convenient and affordable for their residents and will serve as the backbone of our national EV charging network,” Stephanie Pollack, acting administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, said in the release.
Federal approval of Idaho’s initial charging network plan is viewed by state officials as the first step toward accomplishing the larger push toward greater EV adoption in the state. The next requirement entails completing a feasibility and access study, which is expected to begin next month, likely followed by a pilot project within a year, state officials said.
Republican Gov. Brad Little’s office and the Idaho Transportation Department each deferred comment to the Office of Energy and Mineral Resources, which is overseen by the governor. Stover called federal endorsement of Idaho’s framework “welcome news.”
“The plan was the culmination of extensive outreach and community input,” Stover said by email. “Its approval represents an important step in infrastructure, economic and workforce development in Idaho. We are excited to get this plan moving.”
This story was originally published September 28, 2022 at 2:44 PM.
