EV charger funded by federal dollars officially opens in Richmond

State and federal officials hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony in Richmond Tuesday afternoon for a new electric vehicle charging station.

It’s the first in the southeast U.S. funded by the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, and the first of a round of 38 such stations in Kentucky.

Chris Castro, senior advisor at the Department of Energy, was among officials present at a ceremonial ribbon cutting. He says EV stations like this one are part of a national push to lower carbon emissions.

“Transportation is a major contributor to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, it is America's number one source of those emissions,” Castro said. “And by making it easier for everybody to choose clean energy for their travels, we're making a significant difference.”

Gov. Beshear also announced the state is accepting proposals to build 12 more EV stations using the federal program. The Commonwealth hopes to have all 50 installed by the end of 2026.

“That's one about every 50 miles along the alternative fuels corridor planned along our interstates and our parkways,” Beshear said. “That means you can travel throughout any and almost every part of Kentucky and be able to charge an EV along the way.”

So far, Kentucky has gotten $70 million from the federal program to construct EV charging stations.

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