It’s been a year since Congress ramped up domestic production mandates as part of its sweeping infrastructure bill. But its made-in-America requirements are already being bypassed for one of the biggest transportation projects since the construction of the interstate highway system — the Biden administration’s plan to build a national network of charging stations for electric vehicles.
The “Build America, Buy America” provisions of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law mandate that federal infrastructure projects obtain at least 55 percent of construction materials, including iron and steel, from domestic sources and have all manufacturing done in the U.S.
But soon after the administration issued buy America requirements in May, the Department of Transportation and other agencies requested waivers, including for production of EV charging stations included in a $5 billion program created by the infrastructure law.
