After Congress Allocated $7.5 Billion for Electric Vehicle Chargers, Exactly Zer

[Ptarmigan]

After Congress Allocated $7.5 Billion for Electric Vehicle Chargers, Exactly Zero Have Been Built
https://legalinsurrection.com/2023/12/after-congress-allocated-7-5-billion-for-electric-vehicle-chargers-exactly-zero-have-been-built/

Politico has just published an absolutely fascinating update on funds the US Congress set aside for electric vehicle (EV) chargers, ultimately to support a program connected to “net zero” climate cult goals.

Congress at the urging of the Biden administration agreed in 2021 to spend $7.5 billion to build tens of thousands of electric vehicle chargers across the country, aiming to appease anxious drivers while tackling climate change.

Two years later, the program has yet to install a single charger.

States and the charger industry blame the delays mostly on the labyrinth of new contracting and performance requirements they have to navigate to receive federal funds. While federal officials have authorized more than $2 billion of the funds to be sent to states, fewer than half of states have even started to take bids from contractors to build the chargers — let alone begin construction.

There are several reasons this is important. Without a network of chargers, traveling significant distances becomes problematic, and Americans love road trips. Just ask our Secretary of Energy, who attempted to use an EV for her own road trip.

$7.5 billion used for EV chargers. Not a single one was built.

There are also hints that plopping down a network of chargers may be more complex than it looks. In the European Union, electric vehicle drivers hoping to top up their batteries at one of 1,600 Spanish charging stations might be disappointed, as nearly half are lying dormant because they have no power connection. This is a problem all across Europe.

Such gaps are evident across the European Union, where last week the European Commission announced plans to upgrade the bloc’s power grids. These are due to be implemented in 18 months and include addressing EV charging station power shortages.

But despite the declarations of its leaders, red tape preventing progress towards greener transport in the EU is on the rise, industry groups and energy companies told Reuters, with permitting one of the major roadblocks.

The ease of building an EV charging hub varies considerably country by country. One industry source said that in Germany a hub was held up for months over rules protecting a single tree, while another located on a busy highway had to wait 10 months for a noise evaluation before it gained approval.

[Old n Grumpy]

The whole thing is a boondoggle. They are pushing us into an insane state about climate change and yet nothing is said about the Chinese, Russians, India and Africa still polluting like they did a hundred years ago.