Federal grant will help build commercial vehicle charging stations along I-95

A $14.3 million federal grant will help Delaware build electric vehicle charging infrastructure for trucks and other commercial vehicles along the Interstate 95 corridor.

State and federal officials gathered at the Biden Welcome Center near Newark on Thursday to celebrate the investment.

Delaware environmental secretary Shawn Garvin said the money will be critical for decarbonizing commercial trucking and reducing greenhouse gas emissions along the heavily trafficked I-95 corridor.

"Our two biggest clean air challenges in Delaware are transport and transportation," Garvin said.

He added that it's also a matter of environmental justice because many minority and low-income communities along I-95 are disproportionately exposed to pollution from the trucks that pass through Delaware.

While electric car charging stations are becoming more common in Delaware and elsewhere, charging infrastructure that can accommodate large trucks is rare. Officials said the transportation industry is producing the most greenhouse gas emissions, so minimizing the number of gas and diesel powered vehicles on the road will help improve air quality.

"It's a really exciting time in transportation as you prepare for clean cars and clean trucks on all Maryland roads along the Northeast corridor," said Samantha Biddle, deputy secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation.

The grant is part of the Environmental Protection Agency's Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program that was created under the Inflation Reduction Act. Nationwide, the program provides nearly $5 billion to states, local governments, tribes and territories to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“The grants under this program really do present an extraordinary opportunity across all sectors of our economy, allowing there to be grants for investment and sustainable solutions for the climate crisis, but also so we’re inspiring economic growth and building more equitable and resilient communities,” said Joseph Goffman, assistant administrator for EPA Office of Air and Radiation said.

The Clean Corridor Coalition forged a partnership between Delaware, Maryland, Connecticut and New Jersey to work together with their local transportation departments and environmental protection agencies and move towards electric vehicles.

Along I-95 in those states, the project aims to build 20 freight truck charging infrastructure sites, including an estimated 148 ports suitable for overnight use, 164 fast charging ports and 138 ultra-fast charging ports.

Delaware officials will work with the public and stakeholders to determine the best location for a commercial vehicle charging site here. The ideal location will reduce the highest emissions pollution while being conveniently located.