The Alaska Energy Authority and the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities received approval from the Federal Highway Administration to implement Alaska’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan to build a network of EV charging stations along the state’s highway corridors.
“That will free up approximately $19 million. That was $7.8 million from the latest fiscal year and then $11.1,” according to Curtis Thayer, AEA Executive Director who spoke with KSRM. “The number will eventually go to a total of $52 million, but $19 million is available. What that allows us to do is start our planning process and actually looking at the corridor between Anchorage and Fairbanks and then, of course, there’ll be the Homer to Anchorage piece and then the Alaska Marine Highway. The money will allow us to upgrade existing infrastructure of new EV charging, operational maintenance of these charging stations, installation of the on-site electrical service equipment.”
Alaska suffers from among the highest costs of fuel in the United States. The implementation of transportation electrification will help lower the cost of transportation energy for all Alaskans by making sure they can transition to EVs. Thayer says that the funds will be received through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program.
Thayer added, “One of the challenges with EV vehicles that they’re discovering is the cold weather. Hot weather is bad for EV cars and cold weather kind of reduces the battery, but that’s the technology that companies are working on. That, I think, will be addressed, but definitely there is EV enthusiasm in Alaska. Right now, we have about 1,200 electric vehicles in Alaska. That is growing. That’s actually showing a great increase. Juneau, for example, has more electric vehicles per capita than anywhere else in the country.”
Phase one of the plan involving the NEVI funds will focus on installing EV charging stations every 50 miles along the state’s designated AFC, which is the 358 miles of Glenn and Parks Highways between Anchorage and Fairbanks. The new charging stations must have at least four EV fast charging ports and be located within one travel mile of the highway. Phase 1 is expected to be completed by 2024.
Following the conclusion of Phase 1, AEA will deploy NEVI funds to build out the state’s remaining highways including communities along the Alaska Marine Highway and rural hub communities.
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