Electrical Contractors’ Perception on Electric Vehicles and Potential Opportunities from Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

This study evaluates the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act's (IIJA) impact on Electric Vehicle (EV) opportunities for Electrical Contractors (ECs), highlighting the disparity between ECs' expectations and the actual opportunities available. Employing survey methodologies and analysis of IIJA project data, the research addresses ECs’ perceptual gap. The survey results, combining qualitative and quantitative approaches, particularly for open-ended questions, are juxtaposed with a quantitative analysis of IIJA data to extract financial insights. Key findings reveal a significant mismatch: while 75% of ECs view EVs as major future revenue sources, anticipating considerable opportunities from IIJA's EV projects, only 1% of IIJA funding is dedicated to EV-related initiatives. Despite 64% of ECs expecting substantial benefits from the IIJA for their businesses, only 7.5% of the total funding (approximately $15 billion) is allocated to sectors relevant to ECs, including broadband, clean energy, power, and EV infrastructure. The Clean Energy and Power sector, however, emerges as a potential area of opportunity, especially given that 92% of these projects are valued under $2 million, suggesting broader participation possibilities for ECs. The study's limitations include a small sample size of 54 survey participants and the evolving nature of IIJA projects. Future research will expand the participant base, explore regional differences, and continuously update IIJA project data to better understand the Act's long-term implications for ECs.