The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy has handed out $1.7 million in grants to build charging stations for electric vehicles.
None of the grants came to the Copper Country, and only one to the Upper Peninsula, for the City of Norway.
Applicants can receive up to $70,000 per charger station.
The money comes from Michigan’s share in the Volkswagen diesel emissions settlement. There is more money available, and applications for grants are still being taken from private businesses and local governments.
The goal is to expand the network of charging stations for electric vehicles across the state.
Projections are that electric vehicles will make up a third of new vehicle sales by 2025, and more than half by 2030.