California Offers Up To $100,000 Per Public EV Charging Port In New Funding Round

California has opened a fresh round of incentives aimed at expanding public DC fast charging, and the numbers are attention-grabbing: qualifying projects can receive as much as $100,000 for a single charging port. The funding comes through the California Energy Commission's Fast Charge California Project, which has set aside at least $28 million for this second window. Applications are being accepted on a rolling, first-come, first-served basis through January 14, 2027.

The payout structure is tiered by power output. Stalls delivering between 150 kW and 274.99 kW are eligible for up to $55,000 per port, while hardware capable of at least 275 kW can draw the maximum $100,000. The money can go toward both purchasing and installing qualifying DC fast chargers, but the state is not opening the door to speculative projects. Only applications that are ready to build — meaning they already hold an issued permit and a final utility service design — will be considered. Applicants must also own the equipment, keep the chargers open to the public, and ensure that at least half of the connectors on site are CCS.

Some site types that were previously eligible have been trimmed from this round. Charging hubs, hotels, and business districts no longer qualify. The state is instead steering support toward retail businesses, public facilities, high-traffic destinations, and locations along major travel corridors. Projects sited in disadvantaged and low-income communities get priority consideration, part of an effort to close gaps in areas that have historically seen fewer charging options.

“California needs reliable fast charging in communities across the state to support the growing number of electric vehicles on the road,” said Spencer Reeder, director of the CEC’s Fuels and Transportation Division. He framed the new window as a way to push ready-to-build projects forward, widen public charging access, and direct state investment toward communities that have long been underserved. The announcement follows an earlier round that distributed $56.9 million and funded more than 1,200 fast-charging ports.

A third funding window is scheduled to run from February 24 through May 27, 2027, though incentives in that phase will top out at $55,000 per port. All of these efforts sit under the California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project, or CALeVIP, which the state describes as the largest EV charging incentive program in the country. Since launching in 2017, it has backed 10,200 charger installations statewide — a track record that explains why this latest round is being watched closely by site hosts and charging operators alike.