On May 19, 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy announced the award of numerous projects including vehicle and program deployment in Virginia. In support of the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization, projects funded by this $87 million funding opportunity will drive innovation in technology and materials development for EVs; create new concepts to lower emissions associated with off-road vehicles, rail and maritime transportation; and develop novel solutions to deploying clean mobility options in underserved communities in support of the nation’s Justice 40 Initiative. The selected projects will grow the nation’s clean energy workforce and allow more Virginians to lead this critical work through good-paying jobs.
Virginia Clean Cities and its stakeholders are partners on several awards in this effort:
Virginia Clean Cities at James Madison University: Logistics Decarbonization in Strategic EJ40 Areas (LODESTAR), $602,483 – Project to include five electric delivery vans in Fredericksburg, Virginia, plus route work and data collection. The project will demonstrate last mile leadership by the fleet and a statewide disadvantaged student program.
Forth: Expanding Access to Charging at Home (EACH) Program, $2,000,000 – People who live in multifamily housing face special challenges in accessing electric vehicle (EV) charging. Retrofitting charging into existing apartments can be difficult and expensive, sometimes requiring upgrades to electrical systems or the use of sophisticated energy management systems. However, the need for EV charging will continue to grow. As more EVs are purchased across the consumer income spectrum, EV charging infrastructure must be bolstered to support their use.
Louisiana Clean Fuels: GUMBO: Guaranteeing Access to Underserved and Marginalized Populations by Building Employment Opportunities. $1,250,000
East Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition: DRIVE Electric USA 2, $1,669,342 – VCC is an original project partner in this 14-state effort.
Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC): EV Smart Communities, $1,369,925 – The overarching goal of this program is to accelerate the equitable adoption of EVs and EV charging infrastructure at the local level. This technical assistance and certification program called EV Smart.
Additionally, these important stakeholder projects were awarded:
ElectroTempo, Inc.: A Utility-Scale Plan for Accelerating the Deployment of
Multi-Family EV Charging Infrastructure, $2,000,000
Cummins Inc.: Optimized Low Carbon Fuel Range Extender, $5,000,000
University of Virginia: Low-Cost Multifunctional Composites from Recycled Materials for Lighter and Smarter Vehicles, $2,500,000
Previously announced corridor project includes Virginia:
CALSTART: East Coast Commercial ZEV Corridor $,1,250,000
Funded through DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO), through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), the selected projects are expected to:
- Create EV charging solutions for those without home charging. Awardees across multiple projects will develop innovative approaches, tools, and outreach needed to supply EV charging solutions for Americans lacking access to dedicated residential charging options; including by developing plans to install charging stations at more than 2,500 multi-family home properties.
- Develop clean energy plans for underserved communities. Awardees across 13 projects will invest in local organizations and Clean Cities coalitions to develop community-driven strategic plans for transportation decarbonization and community-driven EV charging reports for urban, rural, and Tribal communities.
- Provide transition training to build the clean energy workforce. Awardees across multiple projects will coordinate with local Clean Cities coalitions to equip workers with the skills necessary to transition into the clean energy transportation workforce.
- Advance EV technologies and materials. Awardees across multiple projects will develop new hardware and materials to improve EV efficiency by lowering weight, reducing costs, and minimizing the need for heavy-rare earth elements.
- Decarbonizing Off- and Non-Road Vehicles. Awardees across multiple projects will research, develop, and validate innovative charging solutions for non-road EVs used in agriculture or aviation applications.
- Deploy targeted clean energy solutions. In conjunction with Clean Cities coalitions, awardees across 10 projects will demonstrate and deploy clean energy solutions to electrify school buses, food and consumer goods delivery bicycles, and even commercial fishing vessels.
The selected projects will support clean fuel vehicle infrastructure nationwide, including in rural communities and low- and moderate-income neighborhoods.
Learn more about VTO and DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.