Improving the availability of public charging stations for the growing number of electric vehicles on Delaware roads is the goal of a grant program announced this week by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

The public direct current, or DC-fast electric vehicle charging installation funding will provide up to 75% of the cost to build publicly available DC-fast charging stations for electric vehicles.

DNREC expects to award one to three grants with the program’s $1.4 million funding.

Funding will be targeted to increase the availability of electric vehicle infrastructure in areas where access to fast charging stations is limited.

Transportation is the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions in Delaware. Today’s announcement follows closely on the heels of the release of Delaware’s Climate Action Plan, which outlines strategies and actions the state can take to reduce the emissions that cause climate change.

Widespread adoption of electric vehicles and installation of charging infrastructure to support the growing number of electric vehicle drivers are key strategies in Delaware’s Climate Action Plan, available at de.gov/climateplan.

The funding builds upon Delaware’s Clean Transportation Incentive Programs, which include a suite of rebates for light-duty electric vehicles and Level 2 charging stations.

Proposals are due by April 15, 2022. Project funds will be administered by the DNREC Division of Climate, Coastal and Energy. Funding comes from the Environmental Mitigation Trust, which resulted from the state’s plan to use $9.6 million from the negotiated settlement between Volkswagen and the federal government.