Trump administration restarts delayed EV charger funding program after court setbacks

The Trump administration has resumed a $5 billion federal program to expand electric vehicle charging after legal pressure forced a rollback of its earlier freeze.

Jeff St. John reports for Canary Media.

In short:

States have 30 days to reapply for National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) funds under new Trump administration guidance, which removes Biden-era equity requirements and streamlines some regulatory processes.
Environmental and advocacy groups accuse the administration of illegally delaying disbursal of funds already approved by Congress, and litigation from 20 states and D.C. is ongoing to unfreeze the rest of the money.
Fewer than 400 NEVI fast chargers have been installed nationwide despite the program’s $5 billion budget, with critics warning that changes may weaken efforts to reach underserved and rural areas.

Key quote:

“It’s ironic that this guidance was sold as cutting red tape, yet all it has accomplished is more than half a year of needless delay.”

— Katherine García, director of Sierra Club’s Clean Transportation for All campaign

Why this matters:

Reliable EV charging is key to shifting drivers away from fossil fuels, reducing both air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The NEVI program was created to help fill major charging gaps, especially along highways and in rural and low-income communities where private companies see little profit incentive. Delays in deploying chargers slow down the country’s transition to cleaner transportation and risk deepening the divide between urban areas and communities already facing environmental burdens. A patchwork approach — where states have full discretion without federal equity standards — may further disadvantage areas that need public investment most to make EVs viable.

www.canarymedia.com

a trail in the snow with trees and mountains in the background

Credit: Karolis Karalevicius/Unsplash

California’s glaciers may vanish this century, exposing ice-free Sierra peaks unseen for millennia

New research shows the Sierra Nevada’s glaciers, which have endured since the last Ice Age, are shrinking rapidly and could disappear within decades. Scientists warn their loss will mark the first time in human history that Yosemite’s granite peaks stand without ice.

Read the Full Article on

www.latimes.com

Trump administration restarts delayed EV charger funding program after court setbacks

Antarctica may have crossed a tipping point that leads to rising seas

Can resource-rich countries go green? Colombia’s trying to find out

California’s glaciers may vanish this century, exposing ice-free Sierra peaks unseen for millennia

In Arizona, a fight against valley fever collides with Trump’s policies

The insatiable energy demands of data centers could increase fossil fuel emissions in California

White House threat of new green cuts has Democrats seeing red

Roseland residents suffer as EPA delays cleanup

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.