Officials say hundreds of charging stations for electric vehicles authorized through federal funds for Allegheny County and Pittsburgh officially are on hold while they undergo additional review by the Trump administration.
Initially, it wasn’t clear whether President Donald Trump’s recent orders that froze funding for statewide charging programs through a formula for each state also would apply to the county and city programs because they were awarded through separate competitive grants. Interviews with city, county and federal elected officials indicate they believe those funds have been frozen, too.
The freeze applies to $4.1 million the county received last month for 150 charging stations as one of former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s grant awards. Money for 100 stations in Pittsburgh awarded in August also is frozen.
Trump suspended the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure funding for states on his first day in office last month because he believes it forces people to buy more expensive electric cars. Then last week the administration notified all state departments of transportation that it was rescinding the guidelines for the program while it reviews it to see whether it complies with the administration’s policies.
The program to install 500,000 charging stations across the country was a cornerstone in the Biden administration’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gases and expand manufacturing. President Joe Biden had established a tax credit for buying electric vehicles and set a goal of electric vehicles making up more than half of all new vehicle sales by 2030.
The charging stations were an effort to ensure vehicle owners would have charging stations available at least every 50 miles on interstate highways and other important travel routes identified by states. Industry experts believe concerns about limited ability to take long trips because of a lack of charging facilities were holding drivers back from buying electric vehicles.
Pittsburgh’s program would have placed charging stations at parks and other public places first, then in neighborhoods. Cydney Cooper, a spokeswoman for Mayor Ed Gainey, said the city had planned to issue a request for proposals in February to begin community meetings about where to locate the stations with a goal of beginning construction next January.
“This timeline will be delayed,” Cooper said in an email. “Our current understanding is that federal agencies are required to submit programmatic reports to the director of the National Economic Council and the director of the [federal] Office of Management and Budget by April 20, which is 90 days after the issuance of the executive order.
“In the meantime, many agencies have received communications to pause implementation and halt external communication.”
The result of that review could be “an indefinite delay or even full cancellation,” she said.
Pittsburgh also had more than a dozen proposed public locations included in the grant received by Allegheny County last month. The first three dozen proposed sites were public places such as county and municipal parks and parking lots in smaller municipalities.
County spokeswoman Abigail Gardner said in an email that “everything is on hold” while federal officials review the program.
On Thursday, Gov. Josh Shapiro filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court challenging the legality of Trump freezing federal funds that had previously been awarded to the state. In a news release, Shapiro said the state had “no choice” but to file the lawsuit after more than two weeks of talks with federal officials about the critical need for the funds proved fruitless.
“The federal government has entered into a contract with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, promising to provide billions of dollars in congressionally approved funding that we have committed to serious needs — like protecting public health, cutting energy costs, providing safe, clean drinking water, and creating jobs in rural communities,” Shapiro said. “With this funding freeze, the Trump administration is breaking that contract — and it’s my job as governor to protect Pennsylvania’s interests.”
The state’s funding for 150 charging stations would be part of that suit. So far, 91 have been approved for construction and five are open, but the rest are in doubt.
It’s not clear whether the direct awards to the city and county would be included in the state’s lawsuit.
Ed covers transportation at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at eblazina@unionprogress.com.