The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is currently accepting nominations for the designation of national Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFCs) until June 21, 2023. AFCs are a national network of plug-in electric vehicle (EV) charging, as well as hydrogen, propane, and natural gas fueling infrastructure along national highway system corridors.
The U.S. DOT AFC Nominations process started under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST) Act in 2015. It was modified under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Minnesota currently has two roads designated as AFCs for EVs: I-94 and I-35. This designation is important for determining how to spend federal IIJA funds on charging stations, including the numbers, type, etc.
This round of AFC Nominations is tied to funding eligibility under the NEVI Formula Program and the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program. The FHWA encourages nominations that focus on EV charging infrastructure along Interstate corridors, but nominations may also be submitted elsewhere on the National Highway System. State and local agencies can nominate new, additional corridors, extend currently designated corridors, nominate a different fuel(s) along an already designated corridor, and/or update the status of previously designated corridors.
