NEVI Phase 2 Lessons from the First Wave of Federal Funding

The federal NEVI (National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure) program is a massive, $5 billion opportunity—but early applicants quickly realized that free money comes with high stakes. Following the landmark January 2026 court orders that permanently secured these federal funds, the program is moving at warp speed into Phase 2. This week, we audit the lessons learned from the first wave of national installations. We'll explore the transition from strict highway corridors to off-highway community and retail funding, the strict $97\%$ uptime mandate, and how property owners can design compliant, highly competitive bids for the upcoming state solicitations.