Cowlitz Indian Tribe will install EV stations near ilani thanks to federal funds

The Cowlitz Indian Tribe is one of five tribal communities in the state, along with the city of Renton, to receive funding for new electric vehicle charging stations.

U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., announced Wednesday that a total of $19.92 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation will fund the installation of hundreds of new charging stations near the Interstate 5 corridor.

Cantwell serves as the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. The funding comes from the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program, which was established by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

A total of $15 million will go to the tribes with the goal of filling the gaps in charging stations and making electric vehicle use more accessible and affordable for residents and travelers.

The Cowlitz tribe will install a total of 10 charging stations at the Cowlitz Crossing near ilani. Other tribes receiving funding include the Lummi Nation for six charging stations at the Salish Village Travel Plaza in Bellingham; the Stillaguamish tribe for the installation of 26 chargers at the Angel of the Winds Resort in Arlington; the Puyallup tribe for the installation of an unspecified number of stations at the Emerald Queen Resort in Tacoma; and the Chehalis tribe for the installation of 10 stations at various locations near Great Wolf Lodge.

The city of Renton received $4.9 million in funding to install 244 public electric vehicle charging ports at 28 sites.

An additional portion of the funds will go to the Klamath Tribes to install two fast-charging depots just south of the Kla-Mo-Ya Casino near Oregon Shores.