Deploying electric vehicle (EV) charging stations represents an economic opportunity for regions across the country as residents and visitors spend time and money in communities as they travel, commute, and access essential services. The NADO Research Foundation hosted a webinar in January 2023 for Economic Development Districts (EDDs) and regional organization to showcase available funding, capacity building opportunities, and resources available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) at the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Department of Energy (DOE) to support electric vehicle infrastructure.

The webinar commenced with remarks from Alejandra Y. Castillo, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development at the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) who shared how economic development practitioners can begin to think about, plan, and plug into efforts to deploy electric vehicle charging networks and infrastructure in their communities and regions. Following these remarks, staff from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Department of Transportation’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), and the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation provided a background on funding opportunities and resources and discussed how economic and business development organizations can support economic capacity building efforts, while also ensuring EV investments benefit diverse communities, businesses, and stakeholders.

Speakers:

• Alejandra Y. Castillo, Assistant Secretary of Commerce, U.S. Economic Development Administration
• Suraiya Motsinger, Environmental Protection Specialist, Federal Highway Administration
• Leonardo San Roman, Manager, Procurement Assistance, Division, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, U.S. Department of Transportation
• Monisha Shah, Equity Lead, Joint Office on Energy and Transportation
• (Moderator) Brett Schwartz, Associate Director, NADO Research Foundation

This webinar is offered through the NADO Research Foundation’s Economic Development District Community of Practice (EDD CoP), funded by EDA. To learn more about this effort to build capacity across the national network of EDDs, visit www.nado.org/EDDCoP. NADO RF will share the recording and slides following the webinar.

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