Energize Weekly, November 28, 2018
New York State plans to spend $250 million by 2025 on electric vehicle (EV) charging stations—the first step broad program to promote EVs as part of a plan to cut carbon emissions.
The New York Power Authority announced it would install 200 charging stations under the plan’s first phase and the authority said it had identified the first 32 sites for the charging stations.
The initial funding phase will use $40 million for three new initiatives through the end of 2019: Interstate Fast Chargers (DCFC), Airport Charging Hubs, and EV Model Communities.
“Addressing infrastructure barriers is key if we want people to step into EV ownership with confidence, recognize that lower-emission electric vehicles are affordable, accessible and fun to drive, and understand they’ll be able to drive across the state without having to worry about recharging,” Gil Quiniones, CEO of the power authority said in a statement.
The program will target four 150 kilowatt (kW) chargers at each location at average intervals of less than 75 miles along New York’s major corridors.
These will included Plattsburgh, Watertown, and North Hudson in the North County; Rochester in the Finger Lakes region; Buffalo and Niagara in Western New York; Middletown in Mid-Hudson; Corning and Binghamton in the Southern Tier; and the Long Island communities of Islip and Freeport.
“The first fast chargers to be installed through the EVolve NY program are targeted to begin construction in spring 2019 along priority travel corridors with high traffic volumes from Buffalo to Montauk, and from Long Island to Canada,” the authority said.
JFK Airport will get its first high-speed charging hub, consisting of ten 150 kW fast chargers that will service both private and rideshare drivers.
The cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany and Yonkers have been identified as sites for urban hubs, and high-speed chargers are expected to be installed at approximately 15 service areas along the New York State Thruway.
Among the other programs the state is using to promote EVs are a $70 million plug-in hybrid and electric car rebate program, which provides a subsidy of up to $2,000 per vehicle, and a $5 million program for the installation of charging units in apartment buildings and workplaces.
The Charge Ready NY rebates can be combined with New York State’s 50 percent tax credit for installing charging stations. The tax credit is applied after the rebate amount received from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).
The initiatives are part of the state’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030.
