Gao lifts the lid

Whether the administration’s actions will slow or accelerate the Institute’s funding, the pace is already slow due to some measures in many agencies. In a report to Congress in April, the GAO said that as of the end of 2024, $275 billion of the $581 billion (82% of the total $712 billion authorized) available to federal agencies had been committed for infrastructure projects through fiscal year 2025. Total expenditures, that is, the amount actually delivered, were only $119 billion, or 21% (see table).

At the Department of Transportation, the largest single recipient of IIJA funding, total committed funding as of July 31 was $305 billion, 71% of its budget authority of $432 billion. But total spending on that date was $169 billion, or 39%. Money for roads, bridges, tunnels, etc. has been allocated and spent at the fastest pace, about 80% and 50% to 60% respectively, through agencies such as the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Other DOT sub-agencies are lagging behind. FAA dollars earmarked for projects that would impact electrical design and contracting firms the most under DOT will go out more slowly. Of its $20 billion authority, 51% had been committed and 27% had been spent as of late July. Federal Railroad Administration projects, which can also involve heavy electrification, are also slow. IIJA’s funding authority was $53 billion, of which 65% was committed, and only 8% was spent.

The Government Accountability Office issued a report in July urging the Department of Transportation to address delays in getting funding to discretionary grantees. Sources of delay include inflation-related cost increases; Complies with the Build America, Buy America Act; National Environmental Policy Act revisions; Determine the project budget and schedule. These interconnected challenges “create risks for awardees, including that funding will expire or no longer be available to the awardee,” the GAO said, adding that “awardee challenges must be addressed as decisions are made about delivering the remaining billions in IIJA funding.”

At the Department of Energy, the agency sponsoring IIJA projects with the greatest electricity sector potential, commitments and expenditures as a percentage of total authority are the lowest among about 15 agencies. Of the nearly $43 billion in funds available for obligation for fiscal year 2022-2025, the agency has committed 11% and spent just 1% as of the end of 2024. GAO says the lagging performance may be due in part to the agency being one of three agencies that have never drafted an IIJA implementation plan. The DOE attributed this in part to decentralized management plans that never established coherent implementation guidelines.

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The Berlin-based batteries manufacturer have received funding of 15 million euros from the Series-A financing to support the development of crystal sulfur batteries from the next generation, which it says can weigh a third of the current EV battery technologies.

Theon was founded in 2020, and its name is a translation of the Greek word sulfur, θεῖον. She says she has developed a sustainable battery that relies on sulfur crystals that have costs and effectiveness in the energy field, which depends on sulfur, which is an industrial secondary product that eliminates the need for harmful mining for cathode materials.

Crystal Crystal Sulfur Battery provides a three times higher energy density of traditional ion batteries with a third of cost and a third of carbon fingerprint.

Given that sulfur, the sixteenth component of the ground, contains a much larger energy for each weight compared to traditional battery materials, the batteries that use sulfur will be lighter three times compared to the current Li -Eyon batteries.

By using the mono -technology, technology and operations for the the company, the company hopes to be able to increase the life of sulfur -based batteries to make technology viable for commercial applications.

It is expected that the batteries are used in everything from air and land transport to fixed and space storage applications.

The Global team led 15 million euros ($ 26 million) in financing and will be used to accelerate the development of THION.

“Germany has a long -term history of engineering and innovation,” said Dr. Ulrich Emes, CEO of THIONA, in a statement.

“We are designing the crystal sulfur battery to put Europe as a leader in storing sustainable energy. There is still a way to go, but our technology must allow neutral electrical flights to carbon dioxide, the extended EV range, and storing effective fixed energy.”

Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne -based journalist and wrote about climate change, clean technology and electric cars for more than 15 years. Electric cars and clean technologies have been reported to renew the economy and driving since 2012. Its favorite transportation is his feet.

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What you need to know: California has awarded more than $32 million in federal funds for electric vehicle charging projects along the state’s busiest transportation corridors, expanding the nation’s largest electric vehicle charging network and continuing the state’s commitment to building a bigger and better charging network.

SACRAMENTO – The California Energy Commission (CEC) and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) today took a major step in the rapid deployment of electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure by awarding more than $32 million in federal funds to install, operate and maintain 458 direct current fast chargers (DCFC) along highways and interstates across the state.

The money comes from the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula (NEVI) program, part of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that President Biden signed into law in November 2021. California expects to receive a total of $384 million for the program over the next several years.

“California continues to be a leader in the sustainable revolution with this significant investment to install more than 500 electric vehicle chargers with $32 million in federal NEVI funding,” said Acting Federal Highway Administrator Christine White. “Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic investments, California is helping lead the nation in deploying clean energy infrastructure, expanding access to electric vehicle charging, and achieving our carbon reduction goals.”

Including projects expected to be approved before the end of the year, CEC’s proposed awards total $37.7 million, providing an additional $53.2 million in private matching funds—nearly three times the minimum required by the NEVI program. These awards will result in the deployment of more than 500 new charging ports across 70 sites, an 85 percent increase over the number of charging ports originally projected from the state’s first NEVI order, and nearly doubling the stations required under federal standards.

“California is building a transportation network for the 21st century, and this federal funding helps support that commitment,” said Tony Tavares, director of the California Department of Transportation. “Increasing access to electric vehicle charging stations will be a major boost to achieving the state’s climate action goals.”

“We want to thank the Biden-Harris Administration for its commitment to eliminating harmful emissions not only in California but across the country,” said Clean Power Commission Commissioner Patty Monahan. “With this round of awards, the state has exceeded federal requirements for private investment by nearly three times, significantly increasing the number of chargers funded for every federal dollar. This is further evidence that California is fully committed to zero-emission transportation.”

More reliable and accessible shipping

California is working harder than ever to improve the experience for electric vehicle drivers in the Golden State. Programs like NEVI and the CEC’s Clean Transportation Program are helping create strong incentives for EV providers to build charging infrastructure across California.

Nine projects received $32,722,295 in the first round of NEVI funding at the CEC’s business meeting on September 11. Approximately $5 million more is expected to be approved before the end of the year.

Approved projects include:

NEVI funds should initially be used in federally designated alternative fuel corridors.

You can view a map of California’s alternative fuel corridors here . Each NEVI-funded DCFC station will have at least four 150 kilowatt (kW) shared charging system connectors and a total capacity of at least 600 kW. Stations will be located no closer than 50 miles along interstates and freeways and no closer than one mile from a freeway or freeway exit. States must ensure equity, with at least 40 percent of NEVI benefits going to underserved, low-income, rural, and tribal communities.

Caltrans is the lead agency designated for the NEVI program, and CEC is the state’s designated energy partner to manage the funds. Caltrans and CEC collaborated to create the California Deployment Plan for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program, which details how California plans to allocate its $384 million share of federal NEVI funds to build a network of modern, high-power DCFC power plants along federally designated alternative fuel corridors throughout California.

California’s Zero Emission Vehicle Record

California’s record on zero-emission electric vehicles speaks for itself. Since Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2020 executive order calling for all new car sales to be zero-emission by 2035, zero-emission electric vehicle sales have skyrocketed.

25.7 percent of all new vehicles sold in California in the second quarter of 2024 were zero-emission electric vehicles, according to the CEC 118,181 zero-emission electric vehicle sales in the second quarter of 2024, at a rate of 1,300 sales per day 1,996,931 total zero-emission electric vehicle sales to date 34 percent of new zero-emission electric vehicles sold in the U.S. are sold in California, according to the California Air Resources Board 60 zero-emission electric and related vehicle manufacturers operate in California — the nation’s leader in zero-emission electric vehicle manufacturing jobs

About the California Energy Commission

The California Energy Commission is the state’s primary energy policy and planning agency. It has seven core responsibilities: advancing state energy policy, promoting energy efficiency, certifying thermal power plants, investing in energy innovation, developing renewable energy, transforming transportation, and preparing for energy emergencies.

About Caltrans

To learn more about projects that are helping build a climate-friendly future in California, visit build.ca.gov and RebuildingCA.ca.gov.

Courtesy of Energy.ca.gov

The post California awards $32 million in federal funding to deploy more than 450 fast chargers along highways and interstates appeared first on Evolution Electric.

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Offices: Solar Energy Technologies Office, Wind Energy Technologies Office, Joint Office of Energy and Transport
Funding amount: $11.2 million
Progress to Track 1: Connecting Generators
Apply for Track 2: Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Loading Applications

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Innovation to Connect (i2X) Electronic Exchange and the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, through an intermediary partnership agreement with ENERGYWERX, announced the Innovative Queue Management Solutions (iQMS) for Connecting and Powering Clean Energy program. The program will award $11.2 million to up to 25 distribution companies to pilot innovative solutions for managing charging and powering queues for electric vehicles and renewable energy.

Many electric distribution companies lack the tools and capabilities to manage the large connection queues of medium-sized (100 kW to 5 MW) nonresidential clean energy projects and electric vehicle charging equipment seeking to connect to the grid, leading to delays and high costs. The demand for construction of these types of projects is expected to increase due to federal tax incentives and state and local decarbonization goals. Electric distribution companies need to implement tools and procedures to efficiently process these requests to avoid connection queues and long delays in connecting new clean energy projects.

The iQMS program will fund pilot projects to demonstrate new solutions for managing interconnection queues on real interconnection queues, service load and commissioning requests. These tests will help utility companies and public utility commissions understand the true potential of new software and workflow automation solutions and accelerate their adoption to enable rapid deployment of more solar, wind, energy storage, electric vehicle charging infrastructure and other clean energy assets on the grid. Participating utilities will document and share lessons learned and best practices from their pilot projects to help other utilities manage similar interconnection and commissioning requests.

The application deadline for Tracks 1 and 2 is October 16, 2024, at 3 p.m. ET. For more information, register for the orientation webinar on August 29 from 3-4 p.m. ET or attend office hours on September 19 from 3-4 p.m. ET to learn more.

Tracks

The iQMS program offers funding in two tracks. Applicants can apply to either or both tracks. Each track will operate in two phases, with the best performing facilities from Phase 1 selected to advance to Phase 2. An accelerated option is available for facilities that meet Phase 1 targets early. Participants will also receive technical assistance.

Track 1: Connecting Generators

This track will provide $9.2 million to utility companies to pilot distribution-level queue management solutions to connect medium-sized solar PV, wind, storage, small hydro and other clean energy projects.

Phase 1 – Preparation (8 months): Each utility company will receive $200,000 to determine the feasibility and value of implementing queue management improvement solutions, along with plans to demonstrate these solutions under real-world conditions. Phase 2 – Proof (16 months): Each utility company in Phase 1 will receive $650,000 to complete proposed implementation plans and demonstrate the performance of the solutions under real-world conditions.

Track 2: Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Loading Requests

This track will provide $2 million to utility companies to pilot distribution-level queue management solutions for EV supply equipment load requests and activation queues.

Phase 1 – Preparation (8 months): Each of the 10 utilities will receive $100,000 to test and demonstrate the value of at least one new solution proposal to improve queue management, along with plans to demonstrate such solutions under real-world conditions. Phase 2 – Proof (16 months): Each of the 4 utilities from Phase 1 will receive $250,000 to complete proposed implementation plans and demonstrate how the new solution combinations will achieve the expected results under real-world conditions.

This program is managed by ENERGYWERX in partnership with DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) and Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), and the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (JOET). This collaboration is made possible through an Innovative Partnership Brokerage Agreement established by DOE’s Office of Technology Transitions. This agreement enables ENERGYWERX to expand DOE’s engagement with innovative organizations and non-traditional partners, facilitating rapid development, scale, and deployment of clean energy solutions.

Key Dates

Release Date: August 14, 2024 Informational Webinar: August 29, 2024, 3-4 p.m. EST Office Hours: September 19, 2024, 3-4 p.m. EST Application Deadline: October 16, 2024, 3 p.m. EST Expected Selection Notification Date: January 2025 Expected Project Negotiation Timeline: January – May 2025

Additional information

Courtesy of the Solar Energy Technologies Office, Department of Energy.

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Ion Storage Systems, a US manufacturer of solid-state batteries, will receive $20 million from the US Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) program (SCALEUP) to fund critical developments in pioneering energy technologies with untapped potential.

Ion was one of four companies to receive SCALEUP funding in 2024 as part of the program’s $63.5 million budget. The program’s goal is to help ARPA-E-funded technologies move from proof-of-concept prototypes to scalable, commercially viable versions. ARPA-E’s SCALEUP funding and corporate partnerships will enable Ion to expand its manufacturing facilities in the United States.

The funding comes as part of a three-year, $40 million partnership with French ceramics, glass and materials company Saint-Gobain and U.S. semiconductor process and quality control specialist KLA to accelerate commercialization of Ion’s anode-free solid-state battery. ARPA-E will be funded by an additional $20 million in private equity, bringing the total program size to $40 million.

“Accelerating the widespread adoption of electric vehicles requires increased driving range, reduced costs, and improved safety. Ion Storage Systems has focused on working toward these goals through the previous ARPA-E program, and now, through SCALEUP, the company will accelerate the domestic manufacturing of high-density solid-state lithium metal batteries, based on its proprietary ceramic electrolyte manufacturing technology,” said Evelyn Wang, Director of ARPA-E.

Source: Ion Storage Systems

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For advocates, change isn’t coming fast enough, and some have criticized states for being slow to implement public EV charging projects funded by the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program (NEVI). The Biden administration approved Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plans (EVIDPs) for all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico in 2022 (ahead of schedule). So far, only 20 states have announced their awards. Are the reddish-brown states slow to (or completely ignore) the process?

Well, that’s a topic for another article, but one thing is for sure: ChargePoint, the charging network operator, has taken full advantage of the NEVI program. The company and its partners have been selected for awards at more than 125 locations, representing nearly 600 fast charging outlets in 20 states, and nearly $75 million in proposed grant funding.

Several of these sites have been commissioned—the most recent to open for business are two sites along Interstate 95 in Rhode Island. According to ChargePoint, the Ocean State is the first state in the country to complete the first phase of the NEVI program.

All ChargePoint NEVI locations feature the ChargePoint Express Plus charging station. It is a mountable DC fast charging platform capable of delivering power levels up to 500 kWh. Each Express Plus station can charge two vehicles simultaneously. Express Plus configurations include cable options for both CCS and NACS (also known as SAE J3400) connectors.

“ChargePoint and our partners continue to lead the industry by enabling the most NEVI-funded fast charging locations along major U.S. highways,” said Anne Smart, Vice President of Public Policy at ChargePoint. “Together with our partners, we are enabling reliable and accessible fast charging solutions across the United States, ensuring that all electric vehicle drivers have access to charging when and where they need it.”

Source: ChargePoint

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