The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), together with the office of the Oklahoma Secretary of Energy and Environment and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, has announced a new funding program aimed at building out Oklahoma’s light-duty electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.
The ChargeOK Grant Program, funded by the Volkswagen State Environmental Trust, is offering approximately $3.1 million on a competitive basis for the purchase, installation and operation of publicly accessible charging stations throughout Oklahoma.
Through this program, the State of Oklahoma seeks to build a strategic network of EV charging stations to increase the use of EVs in place of gas-powered cars to mitigate emissions, as well as to reduce EV range anxiety.
The DEQ will implement the program into the following two categories of projects:
- Transportation corridors: Direct-current fast-charging (DCFC) projects on designated EV transportation corridors; and
- Single-point locations – DCFC/Level 2 zero-emission vehicle supply equipment (ZEVSE) charging projects for single-destination locations or locations that serve as a community charging hub.
“Seeing several of our state agencies collaborating on the expansion of electric vehicle infrastructure is an exciting time for the future of EVs in Oklahoma,” says Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin. “Similar to my commitment to the state’s CNG initiative to promote cleaner-burning vehicles, using these funds to develop electric vehicle infrastructure will be crucial to the future of the automobile, energy and utility industries in Oklahoma.”
More information on the program can be found here. Applications will be accepted Nov. 29-March 1.
