EV charging infrastructure business planning assistance

Business people seeking business planning assistance for an electric vehicle charging station can contact their local Wyoming Small Business Development Center Network advisor on the SBDC Network web page. Fill in your information in the “Get in touch with your local advisor today” box in the upper-right hand corner.

If you need a business plan review and insights on the financial side of your existing plan, contact Josh Keefe or Justin Mabie on the Wyoming Business Council’s Investments Team or call the main office 307-777-2800.

National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program

Update on WY NEVI Plan RFP

Recently, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) released the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Standards and Requirements final rule. That release initiated actions for WYDOT and other state agencies to finalize the NEVI Funding Requests for Proposal (RFP) and the procedure for interested parties to apply for VW Settlement Funds.

While the NEVI final rules did answer some questions, it raised others. We continue to work with FHWA to clarify requirements and ensure the NEVI RFP is as comprehensive as possible. We are still waiting for some answers but feel we are far enough along to issue a predicted timeline for the next steps in the funding announcement process.

In addition, WYDOT continues to synchronize electric vehicle infrastructure support activities with other state agencies, which will require a longer RFP review process than normal. We will build that additional review time into RFP issuance and submittal schedules. This updated timeline is subject to change based upon FHWA responses and other State Agency review requirements.

Updated Timeline - Expected completion dates (NLT = no later than)

Draft Cybersecurity requirement language received from the Wyoming Department of Enterprise Technology Service - March 3, 2023
Final FHWA answers or clarification to NEVI final rule questions - March 7, 2023
Draft RFP complete and submitted for State Agency Review - March 10, 2023
RFP approved and posted for public review / comment - NLT April 1, 2023
VW Settlement Fund Application Procedures posted - NLT April 1, 2023
RFP questions due to WYDOT (RFP will provide additional information) - NLT April 21, 2023
VW Settlement Application Procedures questions due to WYDOT - NLT April 21, 2023
WYDOT response to RFP and VW Settlement application procedure questions - NLT April 28, 2023
NEVI / VW Settlement Funding Workshop - May 9, Thyra Thomson State Office Building Casper, WY
- Registration procedures and agenda will publish NLT April 10, 2023
Final questions for NEVI RFP due to WYDOT NLT May 31, 2023
WYDOT response to additional NEVI RFP questions NLT June 7, 2023
RFP closes for proposals - on or about June 15, 2023
VW Settlement Fund Application submissions activate on or about June 15, 2023

There is a possibility the timeline could be delayed during the RFP review process or by additional guidance we may receive from FHWA. In that case we have a secondary date for the Workshop arranged at the Thyra Thomson State Office Building on May 24, 2023. If we must delay the workshop, the final questions, RFP closing, and VW Settlement Funding Application opening dates will also be delayed by two weeks. We will publish an updated timeline.

If FHWA publishes guidance for discretionary grant programs prior to the workshop, we will cover those programs at that workshop. We will post any additional information on this site when it becomes available

Feds announce final NEVI rules and regulations

Click here to read the final rules and regulations for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program

Click here to read the Waiver of Buy America Requirements for Electric Vehicle Chargers

Wyoming NEVI Plan receives approval

Thank you to all who commented on Wyoming's NEVI Plan. The Federal Government announced in September 2022 that Wyoming's plan has been accepted. Click here to read the approval letter.

Eight of Wyoming's 11 exception requests to the Federal requirements for EV charging station spacing, including requirements that stations be placed no more than 50 miles apart, were rejected. To read more about that, check our latest news release.

To read the Plan, click the links below:

Wyoming NEVI Plan - Final

NEVI Background & Overview

EV logo_final.jpg

In November 2021, the Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) allocated up to $7.5 billion over five years for states to enhance their Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure.

The electric vehicle infrastructure funding will help EV drivers to have regular access to charging stations to help avoid a situation where a driver could be stranded without services. Additionally, the added infrastructure will bolster tourism as EV vehicles become more popular nationwide.

There are two sources for funding: Federal Formula Funding and Discretionary Grants

NEVI Formula Funding

Wyoming is allocated $3.9 million in 2022 and expects $5 million each year for the next four years for a total of $23.96 million for EV infrastructure, including:

Acquisition and installation of EV charging infrastructure and traffic control devices and signs.
Operation and maintenance of EV charging infrastructure for up to five years.
Data sharing about EV infrastructure to ensure long-term success of equipment installed under the formula program.
Development activities related to acquisition or installation

In preparation to execute NEVI funding and other program incentives, the state developed a Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Strategy.

See link at the top of this page to download and review Wyoming's NEVI plan.

Formula Funding details

State agencies will not own, operate or maintain the charging infratructure through the NEVI program. Instead, this funding will be used to incentivize private industry to build the alternative fuel corridors, which are the interstates in Wyoming.

Federal rules (see link above) specifies requirements for minimum standards for federally funded EV infrastructure as well as finalizing the Build America, Buy America implementation plan.

These standards will help to ensure that chargers operated by different networks will operate similarly and provide the traveling public with a predictable EV charging experience – no matter what car you drive or what state you charge in. These standards also require that chargers have consistent plug types and charging speeds, common payment systems, and accessible pricing information, locations, and availability.

Requirements also include:

50 mile minimum distance between charging stations
Charging stations placed a minimum of 1 mile from alternative fuel corridor
Charger strength, including requirements for four Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFC) and 150kW and higher charging capacity in each location

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