National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program Hawai’i Earns 1st Program Award
Background
The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program is a major U.S. federal initiative designed to build out a nationwide network of electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging stations, primarily along designated Alternative Fuel Corridors so EV drivers can travel more reliably between major destinations.
Administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the program provides $5 billion in funding to states over five years to support deployment in line with federal standards for charger performance, interoperability, uptime, and reliability.
The program aims to:
- Enable long-distance EV travel across the U.S.
- Reduce “range anxiety” by ensuring consistent and reliable charging access
- Support the transition to zero-emission transportation
- Standardize and improve the quality and reliability of public charging infrastructure
Challenge
For years, states have faced significant barriers to deploying EV fast-charging infrastructure, including high upfront capital costs, complex utility coordination, and uncertainty around long-term utilization. Challenges often extend further to site selection, feasibility analysis, permitting, and securing reliable power along transportation corridors, which can require costly and time-intensive grid upgrades.
States must also adapt to evolving needs and technology standards while ensuring charging stations meet expectations for performance, interoperability, and uptime.
Hawaiʻi has faced an added layer of complexity. Its remote island geography, limited highway corridors, constrained grid capacity, higher equipment shipping costs, and the need to develop sites across multiple islands have made statewide deployment especially challenging.
Project Description
Sustainability Partners, in collaboration with the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT), is advancing EV and energy resilience infrastructure across the state.
Together, the team is designing, constructing, installing, and providing ongoing maintenance for microgrid systems at 11 HDOT base yards on O‘ahu, Maui, Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i Island, Moloka‘i, and Lāna‘i. These systems will support HDOT’s electric vehicle fleet charging needs while also providing supplemental power to each facility.
Building on that work, the team supports Hawai‘i’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program through the design, construction, and installation of public charging stations. Each location will include 150-kilowatt direct current fast chargers and supporting infrastructure.
Impact
Working with HDOT, Sustainability Partners streamlines EV infrastructure delivery by combining equipment procurement, site design, installation, and ongoing maintenance into a single delivery model. Hawai’is NEVI Plan notes that HDOT’s existing contract with Sustainability Partners provides a critical advantage in expediting implementation since the procurement and contracting phase is already complete.
Through the NEVI-funded program, Sustainability Partners is supporting HDOT’s efforts to expand EV charging access across Hawai’i and advance a future in which EV charging stations are accessible and widely available across the Hawaiian islands.
- First NEVI Program Award: The state received national attention when the White House awarded Hawai’i the first NEVI Program Award, inviting HDOT and Sustainability Partners to present about the state’s electrification plans.
- Accessible Charging: HDOT plans to build 11 NEVI charging stations statewide.
- Addressing Present & Future Needs: These projects help Hawai’i realize its vision for a sustainable, resilient, and future-ready transportation network.
- Local Community Engagement: Through partnerships with qualified local vendors, this initiative has driven strong community engagement while stimulating local economic growth and job creation.
- Clean Energy Goals: These innovative projects help reduce emissions, advance sustainability, reduce emissions, and deliver critical infrastructure for communities across the islands.
