Gov. Janet Mills (D) announced this past Wednesday that $8.6 million worth of high-speed electric vehicle (EV) chargers will be installed throughout the state across 17 locations.
The installation of these 52 chargers was funded in part by a $5.7 million federal grant awarded through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program, a $7.5 billion initiative of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
$2.8 million in state taxpayers’ dollars was also allocated for the project through the Governor’s Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan, which is Mills’ blueprint for investing nearly $1 billion in federal funds intended to help Maine recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
About $100,000 worth of settlement funds from the New England Clean Energy Connect project were put toward this effort as well.
According to a press release published by the governor’s office on June 12, the sites for these chargers were selected with the goal of “expanding the charging network to serve travelers on heavily traveled highways and roads.”
Focus was reportedly given to “Interstate 95 (I-95), U.S. Route 2, U.S. Route 302, areas of Portland and Bangor, and supporting outdoor recreation and university communities.”
Cumberland and Penobscot Counties received the bulk of the new charging stations, coming in at seven each. The remaining three stations are to be located in Franklin, Oxford, and Piscataquis Counties.
These high-speed chargers will be installed at several Hannford locations, a Shaws in Windham, Nouria convenience stores in Gorham and Portland, and an Alltown Market convenience store in Orono.
Dysart’s Restaurant and Truck Stop and the Rangeley Hideaway will also be receiving new high-speed chargers through this project.
Several other shopping sites — including Tractor Supply Plaza in Millinocket, Airport Mall in Bangor, and Indian Hill Trading Post in Greenville — as well as Rumford’s River Street Parking Lot and Portland’s Marginal Way Parking Lot will also be receiving chargers with this funding.
Recipients also include the University of Southern Maine in Gorham and the University of Maine in Orono.
“Drivers across Maine and the nation are increasingly choosing electric vehicles because they are safe, reliable, and better for our environment,” said Mills in a press release. “This means that Maine must have a robust charging infrastructure to help ensure that you can get there from here.”
“These investments from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and my Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan will further expand access to high-speed chargers across the state, making long-distance travel more reliable for commuters and visitors alike,” Mills said.
“Since opening its first NEVI funded station in April, Maine has been accelerating progress on EV charging, giving more people the choice to ride or drive electric,” said Gabe Klein, Executive Director of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation. “By using different funding sources to support EV charging infrastructure, Maine demonstrates creativity and flexibility in continuing to build out the national charging network.”
“By extending the high-speed charger network to more rural areas of our state, we are making EVs a viable option for the vast majority of long-distance trips people take in Maine,” said Michael Stoddard, Executive Director of Efficiency Maine. “I’m looking forward to seeing these built in the next 12 months so Mainers in rural areas can give more serious consideration to buying an EV as their next vehicle.”
“Maine is leading the country in deployment of clean energy technology, including EV charging, that stabilizes energy costs for Maine people and business,” said Dan Burgess, Director of the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO). “These projects are making Maine EV ready for our residents and encouraging more EV drivers to visit and recreate across our beautiful state.”
Click Here to Read Gov. Mills’ Full Press Release
In Maine, there are currently 830 public Level 2 chargers available at 409 locations and 241 public high-speed chargers across 88 locations.
Over the next several years, Maine will receive an additional $27 million in federal funding that will be used to make fast charging available “every 50 miles or less along Maine’s major corridors, in urban areas, and in rural service centers.”
Earlier this year, the Maine Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) voted to reject a controversial proposal that would mandate the vast majority of new car sales in the state be comprised of EVs by 2032.
[RELATED: Maine BEP Rejects Controversial EV Mandate]
In response to this, several environmental groups — including Conservation Law Foundation (CLF), Sierra Club, and Maine Youth Action (MYA) — filed a lawsuit against the state.
Together, they are asking the Cumberland County Superior Court to declare that the State’s decision to reject this mandate was “arbitrary, capricious, and an abuse of discretion.”
[RELATED: Environmental Groups Sue Maine in Effort to Force Adoption of Controversial EV Mandate]
These groups are also seeking to have the Court require the State to adopt the Advanced Clean Cars II Program, or a comparable alternative, by November 1 of this year.
The CLF, Sierra Club, and MYA state in their filing that they have brought this suit in an effort “to compel the Defendants to carry out their statutory obligation to promulgate regulations necessary to ensure compliance with Maine’s climate requirements set forth in [state law].”
