Source: Andrii Medvediuk / Getty
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis chapter of the NAACP and others say the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission must include Black and brown communities in INDOT’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program. The program will provide Indiana with $5 billion over five years to deploy electric vehicle chargers along highway corridors.
“We call for an equity advisory board made of Black, racially, ethnically diverse organizations to guide INDOT as NEVI and community-based charging are deployed throughout the state,” said Jorden Giger, South Bend chapter of Black Lives Matter. “It is imperative that we are represented at the decision-making table.”
At a news conference, leaders discussed Indiana’s process for developing a statewide EV charging network and how it may leave Black Hoosiers behind. They also talked about the policies of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission and how they will shape Hoosiers’ mobility for years to come.
“The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission needs to ensure that the electric utility companies across Indiana are required to ensure that everyone has fair and equitable access to electric vehicle charging stations,” said Rev. David Greene — President of Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis.
“We are hopeful that the Federal Highway Administration will fund the City of Indianapolis,” added Denise Abdul-Rahman — State Chair of Environmental Climate Justice and Indiana State Conference of the NAACP.
