Chester County officials are looking to build more electric vehicle (EV) charging stations by participating in a federal grant program, writes Brooke Schultz for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Through the federally-funded National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, state municipalities can receive funds to install public EV charging stations. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will distribute the funds, which will support an estimated 100 stations.
Chester County officials hope to include stations amongst workplaces and businesses to allow for EV charging during daily commutes and routines.
The Chester County planning commission is currently reaching out to individual municipalities and chambers of commerce to encourage applications for the program. Applications close Aug. 21, and any business in Chester County is eligible for funds.
Chester County boasts some of the largest numbers of electric vehicle registrations in the state, second only to Montgomery County for registrations in Southeastern PA. Registrations doubled between 2022 and 2024 for a total of 9,000 current EV registrations.
Planning commission sustainability director Rachael Griffith shared that EV’s can serve as more accessible modes of eco-friendly transit given Chester County’s terrain and layout. Griffith said that the future of transportation in the county will lean toward electric vehicles, and this next step in charging station construction will best serve the county long-term.
Read more about the potential influx of EV charging stations in Chester County in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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