“There is no legal basis for funds allocated to the state to build a “exempt” project based on policy,” says Andrew Rogers, former assistant administrator and chief advisor for the Federal Highways Agency. Masu.
The US DOT did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
It is unclear how DOT orders will affect charging stations under construction. In the letter, FHWA officials wrote, “No new obligations may arise,” and the possibility that even if the state has been allocated federal funds, they may not sign a new contract with the state. It suggests that there is. The letter states that “refunds for existing obligations will be permitted” because the program is going through a review process, and that the state may be allowed to repay businesses already serving it. It suggests that there is.
Billions of federal funding have already been paid under the program. Money went to both red and blue states. Last year, top fundraising recipients included Florida, New York, Texas, Georgia and Ohio.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, head of the federal government’s Department of Efficiency, has directed “audits” and reduced federal spending over the past few weeks. However, his electric vehicle company has received a $31 million award from the NEVI program, according to a database that accounts for 6% of funds awarded so far, according to a database maintained by transport officials. .
The Trump administration said it plans to target electric vehicles and EV-related programs. The executive order signed by Trump on his first day in the office claimed to eliminate “EV mandate,” but such federal policies never existed.
The NEVI project took longer to get off the ground than building other charging stations because the federal government intended to allocate funds to proven businesses. Partnerships, groups of companies and organizations working in electric vehicle charging. If Nevi’s funds are not paid, “it hurts the companies that spend the time and money investing in this program,” he says.
This story originally appeared on Wired.com.
