Complete list of press releases

"The new report from the IPCC makes clear that the only way to ensure long-term security, peace and prosperity is to accelerate the transition to a global economy powered by clean energy, not fossil fuels.

"The IPCC report warns that critical action is needed around the world now to build resilience even as we work to slash climate pollution. We are not doing nearly enough to adapt to climate-driven drought, floods and deadly weather events. Even more alarming is how this new reality will degrade food systems. Climate change is harming our ability to feed a growing global population. While no place is safe from impact, our most vulnerable populations are bearing the greatest burden and deserve the most help.

"There is no time to lose – but it is also not too late to act. We have the tools needed to address this threat; indeed, some are already being deployed. Farmers in the Indian village of Kandukurlapalli, for example, are changing what they plant and how they farm, growing crops that fare better in drier conditions while reducing emissions and waste. The UN report makes clear that we must build on these practices and bring that spirit of adaptation to a global scale and across all our food systems, whether on the land or in the sea."

            - Fred Krupp, President, Environmental Defense Fund

Washington, D.C. (February 28, 2022) – Following oral argument before the Supreme Court in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency, the environmental respondents in the case today released the following statements:

“Coal companies and their allies asked the Supreme Court today to prevent the EPA from limiting the huge amount of climate pollution emitted by power plants. That would be incredibly dangerous. The climate crisis is a serious and growing risk to the health and safety of all Americans, and we have limited time to address it. This would be the worst possible time to tie EPA’s hands behind its back,” said Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund. “We need the EPA to continue enforcing our nation’s proven, time-tested clean air laws and protecting people everywhere from climate pollution. The Court should let the EPA do its job.”

“Today the Supreme Court considered a case that could have profound consequences for our ability to confront the rising costs and mounting dangers of climate change,” said Manish Bapna, President and CEO of NRDC. “Just as the nation is poised to take the climate action we so urgently need, the coal industry wants the Court to constrain the federal government’s authority to limit carbon pollution from the nation’s largest industrial source: power plants that burn fossil fuels. The coal argument should be rejected. When an industry inflicts growing damage and risk on the nation’s economy and the health of its people, it’s the business model, not our laws, that must change. And when it comes to setting commonsense limits on the carbon pollution from power plants, the Court has already answered that question – unequivocally – in the affirmative. It should do so once more.”

“This is the most significant climate action case to come before the Supreme Court in years. Coal executives and fringe politicians are trying to gut the Clean Air Act and the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority and duty to tackle the climate crisis, but they aren’t stopping there. They are also trying to use this case to implement a right-wing power grab that could undermine the ability of all federal agencies to protect the public from dangerous corporate overreach, pollution, and corruption,” says Ramon Cruz, President of the Sierra Club. “This case should not even be in front of the Court in the first place, as it concerns policies that were never implemented and applies to no existing EPA rule. That hasn’t stopped a handful of extremists from trying to seize the opportunity to set our nation back decades in our efforts to fight the climate crisis. A broad coalition of public health experts, businesses, scientists and even the utilities that would be regulated are on the side of the EPA’s authority today because they know that the Supreme Court must respond by rejecting this fringe attempt to undercut climate action when it is needed most. Anything less threatens our communities, our democracy and the future of a livable planet.” 

In their brief filed last month, Sierra Club, EDF, and NRDC – alongside allied environmental, public health and clean energy industry groups – urged the Supreme Court to affirm the authority, and duty, the Clean Air Act confers upon the EPA to limit dangerous carbon pollution from the nation’s dirtiest power plants. In addition to highlighting the flawed legal arguments being advanced by coal companies and far-right politicians, the respondents contend that petitioners have no standing in West Virginia v. EPA given there is currently no EPA carbon emissions rule in effect, and that the case should therefore be dismissed. A video recording featuring environmental respondents discussing the case can be viewed here.

Background

The coal companies and their allies behind this case want to prevent the EPA from limiting carbon pollution, and are attempting to thwart the fight against climate change. The petitioners' actions would move the United States back toward the pre-1970s' era, when few pollution controls existed before the Clean Air Act was signed into law. 

There is strong legal support for the EPA’s authority to regulate power sector pollution in order to protect clean air and public health. Power companies that would be subject to regulation argued before the Court today and agreed that the EPA’s authority is consistent with the Constitution, the Clean Air Act and the Supreme Court’s decisions in Massachusetts v. EPA and American Electric Power v. Connecticut. 

The Department of Justice and EPA, a coalition of two dozen states and cities, leading businesses, and a group of power companies that serve millions of customers in states across the country also filed briefs with the Supreme Court supporting EPA’s authority to regulate carbon pollution from power plants. A full summary of the amici filings can be found here.

Media Contact

For more information or for media inquiries, contact CleanAir@skdknick.com 

“Environmental Defense Fund welcomes this historic Supreme Court nomination. The rule of law is essential to clean air, clean water, a safe climate -- and is the bedrock of our democracy.”

             - Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund

“The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission just approved two policy statements that will improve the review of proposed natural gas pipelines. Together, these policy statements will help ensure that unnecessary interstate natural gas pipelines are not approved and that reviews of proposed pipelines consider all adverse impacts those pipelines can cause - including increased climate pollution, damage to the environment, harms to landowners and communities near the pipeline, and increased costs to ratepayers.

“FERC’s actions come in the aftermath of a landmark ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. In EDF v. FERC, the court held that FERC had not sufficiently considered whether a proposed natural gas pipeline was in fact needed, was the result of self-dealing between affiliated companies, and would create significant adverse impacts in excess of any demonstrated benefits.

“Today’s policy statements will better align future reviews with FERC’s obligation to only approve pipelines that are necessary and that have benefits that outweigh their potential harms. Overbuilding of the pipeline system results in unnecessary costs for the ratepayers who pay for the pipeline, increased climate pollution over the 50-year life of new infrastructure, and harm to communities and landowners whose land is seized or disturbed to build the pipeline. FERC’s actions today will help protect all those parties, and the environment itself.”           

- Ted Kelly, senior attorney for Environmental Defense Fund

U.S. Representatives Kathy Castor (FL), Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE) and Ritchie Torres (NY) today introduced the Environmental Justice Air Quality Monitoring Act of 2022 which makes data from innovative hyperlocal air quality monitoring widely available in order to help reduce the pollution burden disproportionately borne by the Black, Asian, Latino and Indigenous communities.

“While there is a long way to go to address the systemic injustices associated with infrastructure development in this country, the Environmental Justice Air Quality Monitoring Act of 2022 recognizes the importance of providing communities with community-level data on harmful air pollution. Providing communities with information that is both rigorous and actionable can help improve children’s health, address environmental justice issues and support climate action now.

“We thank Chair Castor, Representative Blunt Rochester and Representative Torres for introducing the Environmental Justice Air Quality Monitoring Act of 2022 that would provide communities and state, local, and Tribal governments across the country with tools to better understand and describe air pollution and protect the health of residents.”

• Heather McTeer Toney, VP, Community Engagement

The bill is a companion to the S. 2476, the “Environmental Justice Air Quality Monitoring Act of 2021,” introduced by Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts.

Additional Background:

The Environmental Justice Air Quality Monitoring Act of 2022 would direct $100m a year to hyperlocal air quality monitoring. It would enable monitoring of criteria air pollutants, hazardous air pollutants, and greenhouses gases at a neighborhood scale, in order to identify persistent elevated levels of air pollutants in environmental justice communities.* The funded projects would generate hyperlocal maps of air pollution and demographic characteristics, providing data to community residents and local, state, Tribal and federal air pollution managers. 

* The term “environmental justice community” as defined in the Act means “a community with significant representation of communities of color, low-income communities, or Tribal and Indigenous communities that experiences, or is at risk of experiencing, higher or more adverse human health or environmental effects, as compared to other communities.”

Ahead of their confirmation hearings at the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee tomorrow, EDF announced its support for two highly qualified candidates for essential Environmental Protection Agency posts. 

David Uhlmann is being considered to lead EPA’s Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Office, and Dr. Carlton Waterhouse will be considered for the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Land and Emergency Management, which is responsible for protecting public health and the environment from toxic spills and releases of hazardous materials. More detailed bios for both candidates are below.

“Mr. Uhlman and Dr. Waterhouse are outstanding nominees,” said Elizabeth Gore, Senior Vice President, Political Affairs. “Their careers have been defined by commitment, integrity, and results that help protect families from harmful pollution and advances environmental justice. We urge the Environment and Public Works Committee to support their swift confirmation.”

David Uhlmann is nominated to be the EPA Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. This official is responsible for ensuring that violators of federal law are held accountable. David Uhlmann served for 17 years as a federal prosecutor, including seven years as the Chief of the Environmental Crimes Section at the United States Department of Justice under both Republican and Democratic administrations. He knows and understands the federal environmental enforcement and compliance process. Mr. Uhlmann is fair-minded, and he works effectively with a broad range of environmental, government and industry professionals.       

Dr. Carlton Waterhouse is nominated to be the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Land and Emergency Management. This official is responsible for protecting public health and the environment from toxic spills and releases of hazardous materials from facilities in communities across the country managing important land and waste programs like Superfund and Risk Management. Dr. Waterhouse has almost three decades of experience as an international expert of environmental law and environmental justice and holds a Ph.D. in social ethics. His academic experience is extensive, earning degrees in science, theology, and law. Dr. Waterhouse has been a champion for environmental justice, including during his tenure at the University of Indiana School of Law and recently at Howard University where he created the Environmental Justice Center to provide a platform for law students to provide legal and advocacy support to communities afflicted by pollution. Dr. Waterhouse’s unique combination of skills, experience and vision is precisely what EPA needs at this pivotal moment in history.

(Virginia Beach, VA. - February 15, 2022) Today, NOAA’s National Ocean Service and interagency partners released an updated technical report highlighting the risks facing people living in coastal communities across the country from sea level rise. The report reinforces that we are on a path to sea levels rising an additional foot or more nationally by 2050, meaning that “moderate” flooding is projected to occur more than ten times as often as it does today. 

“The latest report on sea level rise has significant implications for our communities in Virginia. Without action, sea level rise will cause widespread devastation to our region’s people, wildlife, businesses and vital infrastructure. We must act now to advance bold solutions to protect our state’s coastal communities before the worst effects take hold. State leaders must continue with implementation of Virginia’s Coastal Resilience Master Plan to protect communities and infrastructure before it’s too late. Additionally, Virginia must maintain critical funding for flood resilience projects across the state generated through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative for the Community Flood Preparedness Fund. This fund has provided millions of dollars for resilience projects across the commonwealth to protect communities from sea level rise and other forms of flooding. The plan and available funding will allow Virginia to invest in solutions, such as natural infrastructure, to provide a vital buffer for communities from rising seas. Government leaders must prioritize efforts to reduce flood risk for communities that are most vulnerable, and do so in a manner that is just, equitable and addresses the disproportionate impacts of flooding across the commonwealth. Limiting future rates of sea level rise is an existential issue for Virginia’s communities, so leaders must work urgently to stabilize the climate with solutions that avoid these worst-case scenarios.”    

• Emily Steinhilber, Director, Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds, Virginia, Environmental Defense Fund 

Background: 

• This latest assessment follows another recent study published in Nature Climate Change indicating flood-related losses already cost the US approximately $32 billion each year and flood risk in the US will increase by more than 25% by 2050. The study indicates that future flood risk will disproportionately impact Black communities on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. 
• According to Virginia’s Coastal Resilience Master Plan, by 2080, the number of residents living in homes exposed to major coastal flooding will nearly triple from 360,000 people to nearly 1 million. Flood damages will skyrocket 1,300%, from $400 million to $5.1 billion annually. Without action, nearly 90% of tidal wetlands and almost 40% of dunes and beaches may be permanently inundated by 2080.  
• Virginia’s Community Flood Preparedness Fund launched in 2021 and provides critical funding for local governments to plan and implement flood resilience projects and, importantly, can help local governments secure additional federal dollars through matching programs. The fund receives revenue from Virginia’s involvement in the market-based Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). As the state’s only dedicated funding for flood resilience, continued revenue from RGGI auctions as well as other sources are critical to Virginia’s ability to address its growing flood risk.  
• The fund awarded over $32 million to nearly 50 applications from 30 local governments across the state, from Roanoke to Alexandria to the town of Oyster on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. A third grant round with $40 million is open for applications through April. Learn more about the Community Flood Preparedness Fund here.  
• The Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIIJA) passed by Congress last year brings huge investments for critical resilience initiatives across the federal government and directly to states. Included is nearly $23 billion for USACE’s Civil Works program, providing a once-in-a-generation window of opportunity to fund and implement water resource infrastructure projects and programs that center equity and natural infrastructure solutions to benefit communities and ecosystems around the country. 
• Federal adaptation funding for FEMA programs like the Building Resilience Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) will triple over the next five years. The most recent BRIC grant cycle received a record-setting $4.16 billion in applications from states, tribes, and territories for initiatives that build resilience to flooding and other natural hazards. 

(New York, NY. - February 15, 2022) Today, NOAA’s National Ocean Service and interagency partners released an updated technical report highlighting the risks facing people living in coastal communities across the country from accelerating sea level rise. The report reinforces that we are on a path to sea levels rising an additional foot or more nationally by 2050, meaning that “moderate” flooding is projected to occur more than ten times as often as it does today. This report also highlights that we are already experiencing the impacts of sea level rise. Trends in minor-to-disruptive tidal flooding have grown from about five days in 2000 to 10-15 days in the New York City metropolitan region.  

“The latest report on sea level rise has significant implications for communities in New York and New Jersey. Without action, sea level rise will cause widespread devastation to our region’s communities, wildlife, businesses and vital infrastructure. But we can act now to advance bold solutions to build the resilience of our region’s communities before the worst effects take hold. This assessment reinforces the need to adequately and accurately incorporate tidal flood risk into flood risk management projects like the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) New York-New Jersey Harbor and Tributaries study as well as state and local land use policy. Our leaders must also work to invest in solutions, such as natural infrastructure, to provide a vital buffer for communities from rising seas. New York State’s environmental bond act provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do just that by investing in a more resilient future to keep our region safe from sea level rise. In New Jersey, leaders must move expeditiously to implement the recently released Climate Change Resilience Strategy. Hurricanes Sandy and Ida demonstrated why government leaders must prioritize efforts to reduce flood risk, especially in communities that are most vulnerable, and do so in a manner that is just, equitable and addresses the disproportionate impacts of the climate crisis. Limiting future rates of sea level rise is an existential issue for our coastal communities, so leaders must work urgently to stabilize the climate with solutions that avoid these worst-case scenarios.”     

• Kate Boicourt, Director, Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds, New York – New Jersey, Environmental Defense Fund 

Background: 

• This latest assessment follows another recent study published in Nature Climate Change indicating flood-related losses already cost the US approximately $32 billion each year and flood risk in the US will increase by more than 25% by 2050. The study indicates that future flood risk will disproportionately impact Black communities on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. 
• New Jersey released its first Climate Change Resilience Strategy to address long-term flood risks. 
• In New York State, $4 billion in investments in environmental and resilience projects will be decided by voters via a 2022 ballot measure.  
• At a regional level, the USACE is studying coastal storm risk and options for addressing that risk through the New York-New Jersey Harbor and Tributaries Study. Advocates and congressional members have pushed for the USACE to take a more holistic, multi-hazard, nature-based and equitable approach.  
• The Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIIJA) passed by Congress last year brings huge investments for critical resilience initiatives across the federal government and directly to states. Included is nearly $23 billion for USACE’s Civil Works program, providing a once-in-a-generation window of opportunity to fund and implement water resource infrastructure projects and programs that center equity and natural infrastructure solutions to benefit communities and ecosystems around the country. 
• Federal adaptation funding for FEMA programs like the Building Resilience Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) will triple over the next five years. The most recent BRIC grant cycle received a record-setting $4.16 billion in applications from states, tribes, and territories for initiatives that build resilience to flooding and other natural hazards. 

WASHINGTON – Feb 15, 2022) Today, the Biden-Harris administration announced a series of actions to reduce climate pollution from industry and manufacturing, build good-paying, union jobs, expand the market for low-carbon materials, and improve equity and environmental justice. 

“Building a cleaner industrial sector is a major climate challenge that deserves a serious, whole-of-government approach,” said Derek Walker, Vice President for the US Region at EDF. “The Biden-Harris administration is taking direct aim at industrial pollution with a range of new initiatives that can spur innovative solutions and drive investment in clean, American-made materials.

“These actions will position the U.S. to lead on clean manufacturing, while creating good-paying, union jobs for workers and communities across the country. With inclusive and proactive planning, communities that have been disproportionately burdened by health-harming, air and water pollution can shape efforts to clean up industry and manufacturing.

“To fully and responsibly deliver on our climate goals, it will be essential for the Administration to integrate strong environmental and equity protections. We thank the Biden-Harris administration for taking on this notoriously tough climate challenge and look forward to harnessing new opportunities in clean manufacturing.”

(Washington, D.C. - February 15, 2022) Today, NOAA’s National Ocean Service and interagency partners released an updated technical report highlighting the risks facing people living in coastal communities across the country from sea level rise. The report indicates that seas will rise by up to a foot nationally by 2050, and potentially by up to two feet by 2100 depending on rates of emissions.  

“The latest report on sea level rise makes it abundantly clear that our coastal communities are at a major crossroads. Without action, sea level rise will cause widespread devastation to people, wildlife, businesses and vital infrastructure across this country. We must act now to advance bold solutions to protect communities before the worst effects take hold. This requires a whole-of-government approach to confront this crisis with proactive, comprehensive resilience planning and strategies at the federal and state levels. We must invest in solutions, such as natural infrastructure, to provide a vital buffer for communities from rising seas. Government leaders must prioritize efforts to reduce flood risk for communities that are most vulnerable, and do so in a manner that is just, equitable and addresses the disproportionate impacts of the climate crisis. Limiting future rates of sea level rise is an existential issue for our coastal communities, so leaders must work urgently to stabilize the climate with solutions that avoid these worst-case scenarios.”     

• Natalie Snider, Associate Vice President, Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds, Environmental Defense Fund 

Background: 

• This latest assessment follows another recent study published in Nature Climate Change indicating flood-related losses already cost the US approximately $32 billion each year and flood risk in the US will increase by more than 25% by 2050. The study indicates that future flood risk will disproportionately impact Black communities on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. 
• Recently, a bipartisan group of legislators introduced the Shoreline Health Oversight, Restoration, Resilience, and Enhancement (SHORRE) Act, which will empower the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to develop holistic and equitable solutions to address comprehensive flood risks across our nation’s coasts and watersheds. EDF and more than 100 partners called for this mandate last year in response to the Corps’ plans to address only storm surge flooding in places like New York and Miami, while omitting sea level rise and tidal flooding. 
• The Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIIJA) passed by Congress last year brings huge investments for critical resilience initiatives across the federal government and directly to states. Included is nearly $23 billion for USACE’s Civil Works program, providing a once-in-a-generation window of opportunity to fund and implement water resource infrastructure projects and programs that center equity and natural infrastructure solutions to benefit communities and ecosystems around the country. 
• Federal adaptation funding for FEMA programs like the Building Resilience Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) will triple over the next five years. The most recent BRIC grant cycle received a record-setting $4.16 billion in applications from states, tribes, and territories for initiatives that build resilience to flooding and other natural hazards. 
• Increasingly, coastal states – including Louisiana, North Carolina, Virginia and New Jersey -- are releasing Coastal Resilience Master Plans to address long-term flood risks. 

(Washington, D.C. – February 15, 2022) A new study finds that federal agencies are not adequately considering climate change impacts in reviews conducted under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

The report, Evaluating Climate Risk in NEPA Reviews: Current Practices and Recommendations for Reform, was released today by Environmental Defense Fund and Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law.

“Climate change poses major risks to energy infrastructure across the U.S. Federal agencies must consider those risks when conducting environmental reviews of energy projects under the National Environmental Policy Act, but that often does not happen,” said Romany Webb, Associate Research Scholar at Columbia Law School and Senior Fellow at the Sabin Center. “Our research shows that many agencies are not thinking about how projects will be affected by climate change and what that means for the projects' environmental outcomes. As a result, agencies may be underestimating the environmental impacts of energy projects and approving projects that are not resilient to climate change."

”Climate change is a serious and growing danger. Rigorous climate impact analysis is necessary to protect all Americans, and to meet NEPA’s core goal of informing federal agencies and the public about the environmental effects of proposed actions,” said Michael Panfil, Lead Counsel and Director of Climate Risk Strategies for Environmental Defense Fund.

The new report finds that in order to meet NEPA’s requirement that federal agencies take a “hard look” at the environmental effects of proposed actions, agencies must consider how the changing weather and environmental conditions brought by climate change might impact an action and alter its environmental effects. However, none of the 65 Environmental Impact Statements that agencies issued in relation to onshore energy activities from 2016 through 2020 contained sufficiently holistic, specific, and actionable climate impact analysis to inform agency decision-making.

To bridge the gap between NEPA’s requirements and agencies’ current practices, the report recommends:

• The Council on Environmental Quality should update its NEPA implementing regulations to explicitly require climate impact analysis and should identify best practices for this analysis in updates to its climate guidance.
• Other federal agencies should update their own NEPA regulations and practices to ensure robust climate impact analysis.
• The Council on Environmental Quality should coordinate across federal agencies and relevant experts and create or support creation of a database of climate impact information.

You can read the full report here and read the executive summary here.

(February 11, 2022) In a profoundly flawed decision today, a federal judge in Louisiana ruled that the federal government is prohibited from relying on the most up-to-date information about the serious harms of climate pollution -- monetized through a measure referred to as the “social cost of carbon” -- when adopting common sense solutions.

“This opinion is bizarre, profoundly flawed and runs roughshod over American law,” said Vickie Patton, General Counsel for Environmental Defense Fund. “It attempts to block federal agencies from using the best available information in safeguarding the American people from climate pollution. That would put people’s lives and health at risk. This decision is reckless with basic facts and radically disregards well-established Constitutional guardrails on judicial power.”

Judge James Cain of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting the federal government from relying on the best available scientific and economic analysis -- analysis based on extensive peer-reviewed information documenting and monetizing the serious harm caused by climate pollutants like carbon dioxide and methane.

(PHOENIX, AZ – Feb. 10, 2022) Arizona will soon begin reaping rewards from the bipartisan infrastructure law, with today’s announcement from the Biden Administration kicking off a $5 billion construction project to build out the national network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.

The new law passed by Congress last year will direct $76 million over five years to Arizona to expand the state’s EV charging network across highways, rural areas and underserved communities. Arizona will also have the opportunity to apply for the $2.5 billion in additional grant funding dedicated to EV charging in the bill.

“Clean energy investments like these deliver in big ways for Arizonans. They mean less pollution, more jobs and go a long way in incentivizing growth in the important electric vehicle industry that is now booming in AZ,” said EDF Arizona Senior Director Kevin Moran. “We thank Senators Sinema and Kelly for their work on the bipartisan infrastructure law; their leadership was instrumental in its passage.”

According to a 2021 report, Arizona had over 56,000 clean energy jobs, ranking 19th in the country, with nearly 3,200 jobs associated with clean vehicles. Arizona has become a thriving hub for EV manufacturing and innovation, with six companies now manufacturing in the state.

“Building out the network of electric vehicle charging stations will expand the market for EVs and help reduce the principal source of pollution that’s contributing to climate change,” Moran added. “A comprehensive EV charging network means healthier air for Arizona families to breathe, good jobs that employ people who need work, and tangible progress along the path to cleaner power and transportation sectors. This funding allows us to prioritize the environment and paves the way for cleaner technology to prosper in Arizona.”

Colorado will soon begin reaping rewards from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress last year, with the Biden Administration announcing a $5 billion construction project to build out a national network of electric vehicle charging stations. Of that amount, Colorado is slated to receive roughly $56.6 million over five years to support the buildout of an EV charging network in the state.

“Building out our electric vehicle charging station infrastructure is going to help cut climate pollution, provide healthier air for Colorado families, and create good jobs,” said Dan Grossman, EDF Colorado Director. “And it will let more Americans skip paying at the pump, by making electric vehicles a practical choice for more working families.

We thank President Biden for quickly moving these funds to support our communities.”

(TRENTON, NJ, February 10, 2022) – New Jersey will soon begin reaping rewards from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program established by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, with today’s announcement from the U.S. Department of Transportation kicking off a $5 billion construction project to build out a national network of electric vehicle charging stations. Of that amount, New Jersey has been slated to get $104.3 million over 5 years for charging infrastructure construction – meaning less pollution, more jobs and cleaner air throughout the state. 

“Building a national network of charging stations will mean less pollution and cleaner cars – and help for clean trucks and buses that may need to charge en route. This will expand the market for electric vehicles, encourage New Jersey residents to drive electric vehicles, and facilitate truck and bus fleet electrification for businesses – all while reducing pollution and improving New Jersey’s competitive edge as a clean energy hub.”                                                  

• Mary Barber, Director, State Affairs at Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)

Emitting nearly half of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions, transportation is the largest contributor of local air pollution in New Jersey, causing a host of health threats. This underscores the urgency with which we need to reduce emissions from this sector.