On August 26, 2024, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation will award $149.7 million for five California projects to build zero-emission vehicle charging and fueling infrastructure, including over $100 million for medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles. The funding comes through the Federal Highway Administration’s Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program, which was created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. 

 The California Department of Transportation will receive $102.4 million for its West Coast Truck Charging and Fueling Corridor Project, which will deploy charging and hydrogen fueling stations for zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles along 2,500 miles of key freight corridors in California, Oregon, and Washington. The project will enable the emissions-free movement of goods through major ports, freight centers, and agricultural regions along the West Coast. Padilla joined the Democratic members of the California congressional delegation last year in urging Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to support the project. 

  Additional recipients in RCRC counties include: 

  • Fort Independence Indian Community (Inyo County) — $15.1 million: This project will install a reliable, resilient, and sustainable EV charging hub along the U.S. Route 395 corridor, a designated Alternative Fuel Corridor, and the only north-south passage along the Sierra Nevada range. This project will contribute to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging the use of EVs and powering the charging hub through a solar micro-grid with combined heat and power generation and battery backup. 

  • Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians (El Dorado County) — $3.2 million: This project will install 70 EV charging stations to increase EV charging infrastructure in the Reservation and along U.S. Route 50, a designated Alternative Fuel Corridor in El Dorado County. The project will support economic development on tribal lands by attracting travelers to tribal amenities on a heavily trafficked tourist route.