Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), through its Climate Office, has launched the second round of the Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator (EVC-RAA) program. This initiative is funded by the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, specifically targeting the improvement of EV charging infrastructure across the state. Approximately $6 million in grant funding is available in this round, with awards intended to support the repair, replacement, and upgrade of existing public Level 2 and DC fast charging stations. This funding opportunity follows a first round conducted in 2024, which awarded about $3.2 million and is expected to begin implementation in March 2026. The EVC-RAA Round 2 program aims to improve the reliability, accessibility, and performance of Oregon’s public EV charging network. Funds may be used for a range of project types, including repairing broken chargers, replacing non-operational or outdated equipment, and upgrading functioning units to meet federal standards or add more ports and faster charging capabilities. All funded projects must maintain a minimum of four networked charging ports and achieve a 97% uptime annually. Grant recipients are required to maintain operations and maintenance for a minimum of five years post-installation. Applicants may include charging equipment and network providers, EV service providers, electric utility service providers, and public entities that own or manage eligible charging sites. Sites must either be on the original Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) list (Attachment 7) or meet criteria for non-listed stations, such as being located on and designed to serve Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFCs). Selected projects may receive up to 80% of total eligible costs, with a required 20% cost share from grantees. ODOT does not provide state matching funds. In-kind match may be provided by site hosts, limited to the value of parking space use. Eligible costs include design, permitting, equipment, construction, utility upgrades, installation, warranties, ADA compliance, signage, and workforce development. The maximum cost eligible for reimbursement varies by charger type, with caps of $12,000 per Level 2 port and $164,000 per DC fast charging port after the match is applied. Additional Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), such as battery storage, may also be included, with up to $1.2 million in funding allocated for such activities. The application period opens on September 23, 2025, and closes at 5:00 PM on November 4, 2025. Applicants must submit their proposals via ODOT’s Cognito Application Portal. Required components include a completed technical application, cost proposal form, site host permission, utility contact confirmation, and various federal compliance forms. A webinar is scheduled for September 30, and written questions are due by October 7, with responses posted by October 17. ODOT anticipates announcing conditional awards on December 12, 2025, and executing agreements by June 30, 2026. Applications will be evaluated based on qualifications, technical approach, site characteristics, community impact, and cost efficiency. Projects that prioritize underserved communities or strategic corridor locations will score higher. For inquiries, applicants may contact Stefenie Griggs at OREVCRAA@odot.oregon.gov. The official NOFO and related documents are available on ODOT’s EVC-RAA program webpage.

Projects in Priority Communities and Strategic Corridors score higher; ensure signed site host agreement and match readiness.