FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2026
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REPORT: Wisconsin ranks seventh for most open federal EV charging stations, but still has a long way to go
Amid high gas prices and a tight state budget, Wisconsin should continue to swiftly spend federal funding for EV charging to help drivers go electric
MADISON — Wisconsin made meaningful progress on rolling out federal EV charging dollars in 2025, but the vast majority of funding remains unspent, according to a new Sierra Club report out today.
“Wisconsin was a top state in doubling its progress on deploying NEVI charging stations in 2025, delivering real results for communities,” said Cassie Steiner Bouxa, Senior Campaign Coordinator at the Wisconsin Sierra Club. “We encourage Governor Evers to continue moving quickly to protect our federal funding from the Trump administration. Our state has so much to gain from expanding our EV charging network, putting money back in drivers’ pockets, creating local jobs, cleaning up our air, and meeting our climate goals.”
In February 2025, the Trump administration illegally froze the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program. Sierra Club, the state of Wisconsin, and other states and nonprofit partners challenged that action in federal court and successfully lifted the freeze. NEVI funds were unavailable to Wisconsin for nearly five months in 2025 and only fully secured after a final court order in January 2026. Despite these months-long obstructions, 2025 was still the most productive year in the program’s four-year history.
States have to jump through a lot of hoops to implement and spend federal funds for EV charging — including developing statewide plans for NEVI, selecting projects, “obligating” funding (which legally binds the federal government to reimburse their spending), and moving ahead with permitting, design, and construction. By the end of 2025, Wisconsin had:
- Opened 4 NEVI charging stations to the public.
- Obligated 31% ($24.4M) and spent 7% ($5.5M) out of its $79M of available federal dollars for EV charging stations along highways
To speed up the rollout of federal EV charging funds, the report recommends Wisconsin and other states use their attorneys general offices to address issues with access to funds, engage with utility regulators and public service commissions to stretch funding, set targets and timelines for rolling out funds, and maximize coordination between state agencies, project applicants, and electric utilities.
Beyond federally-funded projects, last year was also the biggest year on record for deployment of privately-funded EV charging stations. According to data released by Paren, more than 18,000 new fast-charging ports were installed nationwide in 2025 (a 30% year-over-year increase). As of today, Wisconsin has roughly 877 charging stations with 2,300 charging ports open to the public, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.