EV charging stations in Santa Cruz receive $14.3 million in funding

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KION-TV) -- More than $14 million will be distributed to the City of Santa Cruz to install electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.

U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren (CA-18) and Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) announced on Wednesday that the money will come from the Federal Highway Administration under the U.S. Department of Transportation.

It's part of a larger project known as the Monterey Bay Region Equitable EV Charging Projects that would see EV charging ports across the state's 18th and 19th Districts. This includes cities across Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties.

"Even when there is partisan talk questioning the climate crisis, we vow to continue following sound science and supporting the allocation of federal resources for sustainable projects that boost our local economies," U.S. Representatives Lofgren and Panetta said in a joint statement in a release.

The funding itself comes from the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program.