The Maricopa County Air Quality Department is being allocated $15 million in federal taxpayer dollars for electric vehicle charging stations that will be publicly available.
The funds are coming through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, specifically the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program.
Proponents of the award say that it a greater emphasis on electric vehicles will help improve air quality efforts.
“I'm incredibly proud to deliver $15 million to strengthen Maricopa County’s electric vehicle charging network through my bipartisan infrastructure law. This investment is another step towards a cleaner, healthier, and safer Arizona,” Sen. Kyrsten Sinema said in a statement.
Maricopa County in particular in under tight air quality standards from government regulators as it is considered a "nonattainment" area, according to the Environmental Protection Agency as of last month. The stations are expected to be at places where there are a minimum of 50 workers and are part of the Maricopa County Travel Reduction Program, which started in 1989, according to the county.
