Federal Alternative Fuel Charging Grant Funding Announced

The grant program is part of the 2021 infrastructure act, which promised to invest in charging and fueling stations for electric cars and other vehicles powered by alternative energy.

1 minute read

March 16, 2023, 7:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Electric car charging station with several Chevy Bolts charging in parking lot of store in Bellingham, Washington

Electric car charging station in Bellingham, Washington. | David Buzzard / Electric car charging station

The federal Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) grant program, part of the 2021 infrastructure law, is now accepting applications for a $700 million program aimed at helping communities fill gaps in the charging and fueling infrastructure network for vehicles powered by alternative fuels like electricity or hydrogen.

As Daniel C. Vock explains in Route Fifty, “Unlike earlier rounds of funding to help states build a national charging network, the competitive grants announced this week are designed to fill in gaps where chargers are less likely to be installed by private entities.”

The 2021 law allocated $7.5 billion over five years to alternative fuel charging stations, with $5 billion slated to go toward a nationwide EV charging network. Of the remaining $2.5 billion, half is allocated to charging infrastructure at public facilities and the other half to improvements on major roads and highways. “Biden administration officials expect that most of the money going to local governments will be used to build Level 2 chargers, rather than the ‘fast chargers’ mandated along highways paid for with state grants. The slower chargers are easier to build and more practical for local residents than fast chargers, which are usually geared for motorists on long trips.”

Wednesday, March 15, 2023 in Route Fifty

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Aerial view of viaduct under construction for California High-Speed Rail.

DOT Officially Cancels California High-Speed Rail Funding

The Trump administration has repeatedly taken aim at the LA-to-Bay Area rail project, blaming Democratic leaders for cost overruns and delays.

4 hours ago - Streetsblog California

Orange "Apartments Leasing" sandwich board sign on sidewalk with arrow pointing right.

Legislators Push Back Against ‘Rent-Setting’ Software

In the last six months, lawmakers in more than two dozen cities and states have made strides to stop landlords from using anti-competitive rental software to determine how much to charge for rent. Shelterforce looks at the wins and losses so far.

6 hours ago - Shelterforce Magazine

Orange and black heavy equipment and workers building new asphalt roadway.

DOT Awards 77% of BUILD Grants to Road Projects

Trump’s DOT is directing 87 percent of total grant dollars to states that backed the President in the last election.

July 20 - Streetsblog USA