The Federal Highway Administration has approved the Kauai Alternative Fuel Corridor, a move that will give the island streamlined access to potential funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

Kauai’s designation means all six major islands in Hawaii now have alternative fuel corridors, solidifying the state’s commitment to transforming the national transportation outlook and setting a precedent on EV integration. The nomination of the Kauai corridor was coordinated by the Hawaii State Energy Office in cooperation with the Hawaii Department of Transportation, the County of Kauai, the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative, the Ulupono Initiative, and the Sustainable Transportation Coalition of Hawaii.

“Ground transportation accounts for nearly one-quarter of Hawaii’s energy emissions so efforts to expand the use of EVs are central to achieving the state’s commitment to a zero-emissions clean economy by 2045,” said Scott Glenn, Hawaii’s chief energy officer. “We were grateful to have such committed and supportive partners for this project that will help reduce petroleum consumption and emissions in the transportation sector.”

In addition to paving the way for potential EV infrastructure funding, the alternative fuel corridor designation will:

>> Help coordinate actions needed to effectively identify and deploy EV infrastructure across Kauai County.

>> Highlight the importance of clean transportation roadways and charging locations.

>> Facilitate increased coordination between state and local government agencies, Hawaii’s businesses, and social communities; and

>> Incentivize vehicle dealers to increase EV availability and encourage rental car agencies to add vehicles to their fleet.