Park City Alternative Energy Corridor, one of many now present in all 50 states and Puerto Rico

Map of Utah Energy Corridors Photo: Image is courtesy of U.S. Department of Energy

UTAH — All 50 states and Puerto Rico now have an alternative energy corridor, a stretch of highway with charging stations along the route. Each corridor is represented by having a station no more than 50 miles apart, and they must be within five miles of the highway.

Utah is part of the Charge West initiative, which aims to expand the charging network across eight states in the intermountain region. Presently Interstate 15 between Scipio and Las Vegas in southern Utah meets the criteria of an alternative energy corridor. The other long-range corridor is from the Spanish Fork area just south of Brigham City. Interstate 80 to Park City is also a corridor.

The corridors are a direct result of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act signed into law in 2015. Since then, there has also been funding from the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program.

Moving forward, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced a Notice of Proposed Rule Making that will establish minimum standards and requirements for projects funded under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program.

“We’re tackling range anxiety and vehicle charging deserts by making sure that charging stations are easily and equally accessible, allowing every American can get coast to coast in an electric vehicle,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “The investments made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will not only build an interconnected national charging network but also boost local economies and strengthen our independence from the volatilities of fossil fuels.”

Further information can be found at Charge West, U.S. Department of Transportation, Utah Office of Energy Development, and U.S. Department of Energy websites.