The White House announced this week that Michigan is in line to get $1.6 billion dollars in new federal infrastructure funding. It’s part of a nationwide allocation of federal infrastructure funds for states to use.
The federal government has set 11 broad categories for funding, including bridges and highways, air quality and creating networks for electric vehicle charging.
Representatives for the Biden administration said EV charging networks are a high priority for the Michigan funds.
“You can see with all the auto manufacturers starting to manufacture electric vehicles and one of the challenges that folks have with buying them is a place to charge them when you’re on the highways," said White House Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu.
"The President has allocated money for each state to set up electric vehicle charging stations on the interstate system."
Landrieu said the state will be allowed a lot of flexibility to determine how the federal funds will be used. Carbon reduction is included in other spending categories.
"This money is going to be used by the governor and the folks there to rebuild the highways, to build off-system bridges, to work on electric vehicle charging stations and the like, so it’s just another big win for the State of Michigan,” he said.
The money is part of a larger $1.2 trillion national infrastructure package that was approved by Congress with bipartisan support.