Hawaii is set to receive more than $2.6 million in new funding to expand its network of electric vehicle charging stations, thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, according to U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz.

It is the first round of nearly $18 million total, based on estimated formula funding, available to Hawaii over the next five years to help install EV charging, Schatz said.

“People want to purchase EVs, but they worry about where and when they’ll be able to charge their car,” said Schatz, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development., in a news release. “By building EV charging stations across the state in places where people can actually use them, this new federal funding will make EVs more accessible for Hawaii families, create quieter streets, and help the State of Hawaii achieve its ambitious goals for building a clean economy.”

The U.S. Departments of Transportation and Energy today announced nearly $5 billion to be made available to help states create a network of EV charging stations along the Interstate Highway System and designated “alternative fuel corridors.”

The new National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula (NEVI) Program was established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden last November, with the goal of developing a nationwide network of 500,000 EV charging stations by 2030.

Funds can be used to install and operate EV charging stations and provide information about them to the public, according to Schatz.

States must, however, submit a deployment plan describing how they intend to use their share of program funds consistent with Federal Highway Administration guidance before they can access them.