Wisconsin EV chargers; Evers signs bills unlocking $78M in funds
MADISON, Wis. - An explosion of electric vehicle charging stations could soon pop up around Wisconsin, changing the EV game across the state.
Gov. Tony Evers on Wednesday, March 20 signed two bills to bolster the state’s EV infrastructure. The legislation enable the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to receive and administer more than $78 million in federal funds.
One of the bills, known as Act 121, changes current law to allow businesses to offer EV chargers that sell electricity by the kilowatt-hour, which can incentivize more businesses to start offering EV charging and also requires the state to receive funding through the federal NEVI program under the bipartisan infrastructure law.
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The NEVI program is designed to support the construction of fast public EV charging stations along major driving corridors that allow passenger EVs to recharge in less than an hour.
The other bill, Act 122, creates a new EV infrastructure program at WisDOT, enabling the department to receive and administer the more than $78 million in NEVI funds. Evers said WisDOT will primarily use these funds to support businesses that want to offer EV charging near Wisconsin’s major highways.
Wisconsin EV chargers; state at risk of losing $78M
Wisconsin may be at risk of losing more than $78 million slated to build a network of high speed electric vehicle charging stations.
Current electric vehicle drivers say finding high-speed electric chargers in Wisconsin can be nearly impossible. While there are hundreds of electric chargers across the state, when it comes to level 3 chargers that are able to juice up any model EV quickly, there were only four locations in the state as of December 2023.
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"We don’t have to choose between protecting our environment and natural resources or creating good-paying jobs and infrastructure to meet the needs of a 21st-Century economy—in Wisconsin, we’re doing both," Evers said. "Expanding EV charging infrastructure is a critical part of our work to ensure Wisconsin is ready to compete and build the future we want for our kids—one that is cleaner, more sustainable, and more efficient. Thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re ready to get to work."
WisDOT said last year that it approved a plan that could create "full coverage" for EV drivers, meaning there would be a high-speed electric vehicle charging station within 50 miles of another location on all main routes.