USA: New York State funds 250 charging stations
The US state of New York has earmarked $8.3 million in funding for a total of 255 charging stations that will be installed in some 70 municipalities. The state is also looking to provide more EV chargers for agancy fleets in the coming years.
28 of the above-mentioned stations will be DC fast-chargers, though the state’s press release does not mention how fast the chargers will be. The remaining stations are AC chargers with two Level 2 charging ports each. The money comes from the 2022 round of the Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Municipal Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Infrastructure Grant Program.
“Thanks to initiatives like the Municipal Zero-Emissions Vehicle Infrastructure grants, communities across New York State are taking bold action to protect the environment and tackle the climate crisis,” says New York Governor Kathy Hochul. “We will continue to invest in clean energy to improve the health and quality of life of New Yorkers and ensure a safe and sustainable future.”
The state also aims to install more than 1,300 EV charging stations for its agency fleets over the next five years. It is part of an EV infrastructure plan and “convert the State’s light-duty fleet to 100 per cent zero-emission vehicles by 2035,” explains Office of General Services Commissioner Jeanette Moy. To that end, the US state also recently announced that all ride-hailing companies must be fully electric by 2030 and is following California’s lead to phase out diesel trucks earlier than the rest of the country.
According to the state government, more than 42 per cent of the grant funding was awarded to projects located in disadvantaged communities. The fast-chargers will be located in Salina in Central New York, in Medina in Finger Lakes, in Smithtown on Long Island, in Kingston and Mount Pleasant in Mid-Hudson, in Indian Lake and Canton in North County, in Chemung County in Southern Tier and in Amherst, South Dayton and Lancaster in Western New York.
“This funding will continue to grow New York’s electric vehicle charging network in communities as we shift to zero-emissions vehicles to reduce emissions and improve the health and safety of New Yorkers,” says Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos.
The programme also offers subsidies for zero-emission fleet vehicles in the state. According to the Governor’s office, more than $16 million have been awarded in rebates and grants since the programme’s inception in 2016. That includes “the purchase of 114 plug-in hybrid vehicles and 182 all-electric vehicles, 1,076 Level 2 charging ports, 44 fast charge pedestals, and three hydrogen fuel cell filling nozzles.”
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