Attorney General Dan Rayfield today joined 16 other states in filing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration for halting federal funding used to build electric vehicle charging infrastructure along major freight routes. The funding was approved by Congress on a bipartisan basis to help states modernize transportation corridors, reduce pollution, and support growing demand for electric vehicles — including medium- and heavy-duty trucks that move goods across the state.
“Oregon’s freight corridors keep our economy moving — from farm goods and timber to everyday products families rely on,” said Attorney General Rayfield. “When these projects are delayed, it doesn’t just affect charging stations. It affects jobs, supply chains, and the cost of doing business in our state. Congress already approved this funding, and Oregon should not be penalized because this administration decided to put the brakes on investments that support our economy and working communities.”
The funding was approved by Congress to help states modernize transportation corridors, reduce pollution, and support growing demand for electric vehicles — including medium- and heavy-duty trucks that move goods across the state. Despite that approval, the U.S. Department of Transportation has stopped allowing states to access these funds, leaving projects in limbo and slowing economic progress.
Congress created these programs as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help states build and maintain EV charging infrastructure over five years. Oregon and the other states were counting on this funding to keep pace with growing demand for cleaner, more affordable transportation options — particularly along busy highways where trucks and freight traffic are concentrated.
In 2024, Oregon partnered with California and Washington on a $102 million project to build electric and hydrogen charging stations for medium- and heavy-duty trucks along Interstate 5 and other key freight corridors. These routes are critical to Oregon’s economy, supporting trade up and down the West Coast and beyond. The project was expected to create jobs, attract private investment, and lower long-term transportation costs for businesses.
Oregon’s Department of Transportation has been actively working to move the project forward, but the federal government’s refusal to release funds has slowed progress and created uncertainty for contractors, workers, and local communities. The lawsuit asks the court to block the Trump Administration from continuing to withhold the funds and to allow states to move forward with projects Congress already authorized.
Attorney General Rayfield is joined in the lawsuit by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the Governor of Pennsylvania.
