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The Oregon Department of Transportation will receive $52 million in funding for electric-vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.

The money is some of the additional $1.2 billion in transportation funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed by Congress recently. Oregon will receive the money over the next five years, according to an ODOT press release. Federal guidelines on how money can be spent are expected to be issued in February 2022.

Guidelines are expected to steer funding toward public EV charging stations or alternative fuel infrastructure on national highways, stated Suzanne Carlson, director of ODOT鈥檚 climate office.

Numerous Oregonians are adopting electric vehicles, according to ODOT data. New EV registrations are on track to increase 70 percent in 2021 compared to last year.

Meanwhile, two high priorities for ODOT, it stated, are to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation and electrify transportation.

鈥淢oving quickly to electrify transportation is just one piece of Oregon鈥檚 emission reduction plan,鈥� Carlson stated. 鈥淭ogether with other ongoing investments in bike and pedestrian programs, public transit and climate resiliency, we鈥檒l be able to make strong progress on our work to address climate change in Oregon.鈥�

Oregon is set to receive a total of at least $4.5 billion in federal transportation funding over the next five years. Allocation plans for some of that money include: $250 million to repair and replace bridge infrastructure, $82 million to projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, $94 million to improve system resilience to earthquakes, natural disasters and climate change, and more than $200 million to local governments for investments in community priorities.

Approximately $200 million more will go toward upgrades of transit fleets and investments in zero- and low-emission vehicles.