California secures $379 million in federal EV charging funds after court blocks Trump withholding
By Eve
A U.S. District Court ruling has cleared California to access $379 million from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program after the Trump Administration attempted to withhold funding allocated under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The NEVI programme, which received $5 billion in total federal appropriations, was frozen by executive order earlier this year, prompting multistate litigation led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta. The Federal Highway Administration has now approved nearly all funding allocated to California, enabling the state's Department of Transportation and Energy Commission to proceed with charging network deployment.
Why it matters: The ruling unlocks substantial capital for California's charging infrastructure pipeline, providing certainty for CPOs and contractors bidding on state funded projects. It also signals potential release of NEVI funds in other states that joined the litigation, expanding the national procurement opportunity beyond the $379 million now available in California.