Des Moines metro denied electric vehicle charging grant

Catch up fast: The grant allocates up to $2.5 billion over a five-year period for alternative fuel infrastructure projects.

• The Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) applied last year on behalf of 10 metro governments.

Driving the news: None of the grant recipients awarded for the first two fiscal years of the program are in Iowa.

• There are options to resubmit requests, which the MPO is reviewing, spokesperson Gunnar Olson tells Axios.

What they're saying: Most grants were awarded to areas with bigger populations, Rep. Sean Bagniewski (D-Des Moines) and Polk County's federal grant administrator told supervisors last week.

The big picture: Iowa lags much of the country in EV adoption.

Yes, but: Some local governments are leading the charge, including DSM where EVs have been used for years.

• Polk County's government is currently transitioning to an EV-based vehicle fleet.

Friction point: There are EV frustrations beyond finding a charging station, including compromised driving range in cold weather.

• DART's electric buses have been off the road for maintenance since late 2022.