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Massachusetts will get some federal money for EV chargers after all – The Boston Globe

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Massachusetts will get some federal money for EV chargers after all – The Boston Globe


Another $14 million or so expected in future years may never reach the state, however.

“We are working to utilize that funding as quickly and efficiently as possible,” the department said in a statement to the Globe. “We anticipate some NEVI projects coming online this year and substantial progress to be made on the rest.”

The federal agency declined to address Massachusetts specifically and said it is “working to fix” the program. “During this process, no new obligations may occur under the program, but reimbursement of existing obligations will continue,” the agency said in a statement to the Globe.

The state’s first five approved stations will be along I-495 in Wrentham and Littleton, along I-195 in Wareham, and along Route 2 in North Adams and Lancaster. The stations will be built by the three companies the state selected last year: Applegreen and Global Partners, which both operate gas stations and convenience stores statewide, as well as construction and engineering firm Weston & Sampson.

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Another 16 sites have been selected by the contractors for new stations and are moving through the approval process, state officials said.

Global said it was building its stations at convenient locations with amenities. “Providing a reliable and convenient charging experience is crucial for adoption of electric vehicles,” said James Cater, Global’s senior director of sustainability strategy and innovation.

Applegreen highlighted that its chargers, unlike some rivals, will not require a special app or membership. “It’s a simple, open, and truly accessible charging experience for everyone,” a spokesperson said.

Weston & Sampson declined to comment.

Massachusetts is not using federal funds to add fast charging stations on one of the state’s most popular highways, the Mass Turnpike. Instead, the state is currently seeking a new operator to run the retail and refueling operations at Pike rest stops and will require that operator to build more EV fast chargers.

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The number of EVs on the road in Massachusetts reached almost 90,000 at the beginning of the year, plus another 50,000 plug-in hybrids. Despite a nationwide slowdown in EV sales growth, the number of battery-powered vehicles increased 33 percent from the beginning of 2024.

Massachusetts’ effort to build rapid EV charging stations with federal money has progressed more slowly than most states, jeopardizing some or all of the funding once Trump was elected.

Massachusetts and only 14 other states, most deeply Republican and opposed to EVs, had yet to award any of their funding when Trump took office, according to research firm Paren. By that time, New York, Pennsylvania, Maine, and Rhode Island had opened multiple stations and Ohio already had 19 new stations funded by the law.

Even without the federal subsidies, private companies have built hundreds of charging stations in Massachusetts in recent years. The subsidy program was supposed to fill in gaps, especially in low-income, rural, or other areas that did not attract private investment. A Globe survey of Boston-area census tracts last year found that the higher the Black population of an area, the fewer the car chargers.


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Aaron Pressman can be reached at aaron.pressman@globe.com. Follow him @ampressman.





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‘No way to leave’: Mass. families stuck in Middle East amid war in Iran

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‘No way to leave’: Mass. families stuck in Middle East amid war in Iran


Massachusetts families are stuck in the Middle East amid the war in Iran, and Democratic Sen. Ed Markey says the State Department needs to do more to get them home.

The Trump administration is telling Americans to leave the region, and families would love to, but they haven’t been able to get out.

Stacey Schuhwerk of Hingham has been sheltering in place in a Doha hotel since Saturday.

“We hear the missiles outside,” she said. “We can see them.”

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The Hingham mother and her son are among nearly 1,600 Americans trapped in the Middle East with no way to get home.

“Airspace is shut down. There’s no planes,” said Schuhwerk. “There’s no way to leave.”

Flights between Boston and the Middle East are canceled or delayed as travelers express anxiety over the conflict.

At first, U.S. officials told people to shelter in place and register with the State Department — something Schuhwerk did days ago.

“There’s no help there. The last time we called was 20 minutes ago, and they continue to say that ‘We don’t know anything about any plans for government help to get people out,’” she said.

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Embassies and consulates across the region — including the U.S. Embassy in Israel — have now suspended services, saying they simply can’t get Americans out.

“They did not have a plan to conduct this war, and they clearly did not have a plan as to how to evacuate innocent families,” Markey said.

The senator says his office is hearing from Massachusetts families, and he’s pressuring the Trump administration to come up with an evacuation plan fast.

“We are going to apply that pressure on the State Department until every American who wants to leave that region is out,” he said.

Back in Doha, Schuhwerk keeps watching the war outside her window.

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“The talk here is ‘How much defensive ammunition’s left?’ Good question, you know, because the missiles aren’t stopping,” she said. “So how long are we going to be safe here?”

With no clear end to this conflict, she’s worried she could be stuck there for weeks.



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Snow, ice, rain to impact roads in Massachusetts – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News

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Snow, ice, rain to impact roads in Massachusetts – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News


Happy Tuesday! While today started off dry, we’re already looking at snow out there across the area. While this event will primarily stay as rain on the Cape and islands, it will be an icy mix of snow, ice and rain for the rest of us.

The rain/snow line will continue to advance from the south to the north as the evening progresses. Before the changeover, there will be a quick coating to 2 inches for most of our area.

The threshold between the snow and rain will feature sleet and freezing rain, leading to that icing.

For the rest of the night, there will primarily be rain with continued pockets of freezing rain, leading to increasing spotty ice accretion. Be extremely careful on roads, especially since switching between rain and freezing rain can wash off any road salt.

The rain and freezing rain will exit by 6 a.m. Wednesday, but temperatures will still be close to freezing during the morning commute, so watch out for some spotty black ice.

The rest of Wednesday will be really nice! Highs will warm up to the mid 50s with the help of ample sun.

Thursday we start off in the mid 20s and top off in the mid 40s. We’ll be partly sunny with another chance for some wintry weather Thursday night. This primarily looks like some rain and freezing rain, rather than the triple threat with snow too. We’ll keep an eye on that for you.

That will continue into Friday morning. The rest of Friday: cloudy with a chance for a spot shower and highs cooler again in the upper 30s. Saturday will be dry, breezy and cloudy but gorgeous near 50 degrees! There’s a chance for some rain showers Saturday night. Don’t forget to set your clocks forward an hour before you to go bed!

Sunday we start the day mild in the 40s and make it all the way into the upper 50s with more sun. Monday and Tuesday both look bright and in the 60s! Stay tuned.

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Massachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks

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Massachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks




Massachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks – CBS Boston

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Poya Sohrabi hasn’t heard from his family since they took shelter from attacks in Tehran. WBZ-TV’s Mike Sullivan reports.

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