17 US states sue Trump admin over NEVI charging funding freeze

EVWire brief: Per the California state website, 16 other states join them to sue the Trump administration “for illegally withholding billions in bipartisan infrastructure funds.

Context: on the first day of his administration, President Trump issued an executive order directing federal agencies to immediately stop releasing funds appropriated through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including $5 billion that Congress appropriated for electric vehicle charging stations under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program.

The lawsuit requests the court to declare that President Trump’s directives are unlawful, vacate the actions and permanently stop the administration from withholding the funds.

The press release states: “The multi-state lawsuit was filed in federal court challenging actions taken by President Trump’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to thwart Congress’s $5 billion program to expand EV charging infrastructure. The Trump administration’s unlawful actions would cost Californians more than $300 million, eliminate thousands of good-paying jobs and hobble a critical, emerging tech industry.”

Following that directive, FHWA effectively halted the NEVI Formula Program by withholding billions in funds that Congress had directed to the states for the purpose of building the EV infrastructure.

Source: California gov website

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