Established by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program provides $28.5 million in combined federal and state funding to Rhode Island. During Phase 1, a portion of this funding was used to develop the Alternative Fuel Corridor. In the summer of 2024, Rhode Island became the first state in the nation to complete Phase 1 by installing fast chargers at two Park & Ride locations.

Launching on November 14, 2024, Rhode Island also becomes the first state to initiate Phase 2A, the Community Approach Phase of the NEVI Program.

Phase 2A is a competitive application program with an initial $10 million in funding to install a minimum of 10 DC Fast Chargers and 100 Level 2 chargers statewide. This initiative will expand Rhode Island’s clean transportation infrastructure with publicly accessible, NEVI-compliant stations.

Eligible applicants include businesses, municipalities, academic institutions, non-profits, and federally-recognized Tribal organizations. The program offers up to 80% federal funding, with a required 20% applicant match—although additional matching contributions are encouraged.

The maximum funding per site is set at $1 million for DC Fast Chargers, $250,000 for Level 2 chargers, and up to $1.25 million for sites featuring a combination of both DC Fast Chargers and Level 2 chargers. Each location must include a minimum of 4 charging ports, which can be a mix of DC Fast Chargers and Level 2 units.

The application intake period runs from November 14, 2024, through February 28, 2025.