TRENTON, NJ – A coalition of Northeastern states has received a nearly $1 million U.S. Department of Energy grant to jump-start planning for a network of electrical vehicle charging stations.

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin said the grant to the Transportation and Climate Initiative, comprising 11 states plus the District of Columbia, will accelerate development of charging stations throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region. 

"Improving air quality in New Jersey is a top priority of the Christie administration," Martin said. "But in addition to helping us reduce auto emissions and improving the health of our residents, this new network will provide an economic boost to the state through the creation of new green jobs in research and production of electric cars and electric vehicle infrastructure."

The mission of the initiative's Northeast Electric Vehicle Network is two-fold. The first goal is to ensure that motorists can drive electric vehicles with ease locally and region-wide, from northern New England to the District of Columbia. The second goal is to create consistent rules and standards across the entire region. The initiative seeks to attract private sector investment and encourage development of an electric vehicle market.

The Northeast Electric Vehicle Network project will develop a plan and accompanying guidance documents for the introduction of the network of charging stations. The parent Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI), meanwhile, will work with the region's Clean Cities Coalitions to bring together stakeholders to discuss the concept, adapt documents to local audiences, and convey the benefits of a regional approach to local policymakers.

The TCI is a regional cooperative of states that work together to reduce greenhouse emissions, minimize reliance of transportation systems on high-carbon fuels, improve efficiency of freight movement, expand the use of innovative information technology, promote sustainable growth and seek to reduce vehicle-miles traveled. 

TCI members are New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the District of Columbia. It was the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority that submitted that grant application for the Electric Vehicle Network project.

The Georgetown Climate Center serves as the facilitator for TCI, supporting the group's work by coordinating region-wide stakeholder outreach, conducting necessary research, and recommending model policy and planning approaches.

For more information on the Transportation and Climate Initiative, click here.