The Independent View: NY Gov. Announces Initiatives to Expand Electric Charging Stations

Photo: New York Governor’s Office

New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo (D), announced that New York State will spend $701 million for EV infrastructure and other Initiatives in the “EV Made Ready” Program:

- Funds 53,773 Level 2 Charging Stations and 1,500 Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC) Stations by 2025.

- $48.8 million, comes from a 2017 Settlement with Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) over its Diesel Emissions Cheating Scandal, will pay for Charging Stations and Electric School and Transit Buses.

- $206 million of the $701 million will be allocated to Equitable Access and Benefits for Lower Socioeconomic and Disadvantaged Communities.

- $85 million will Fund Three Innovative Clean Transport Prize Competitions:

1) The Environmental Justice Community Clean Vehicles Transformation Prize, a $40 million Program focused on Reducing Harmful Air Pollution in Frontline Communities and creating Transportation “Green Zones” across New York State.

2) The Clean Personal Mobility Prize, a $25 million Program soliciting Innovative approaches that enable Access to Clean Transport Services for Disadvantaged and Underserved Communities.

3) The Clean Medium-Duty and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Innovation Prize, a $20 million Program designed to Prove-Out Innovative and High-Impact approaches to Medium-Duty and Heavy-Duty Electrification that can be Replicated at Scale.

The EV Make-Ready Program will be Funded by Investor-owned Utilities in New York State. Utilities will cover 90% of the Cost of Make-Ready Infrastructure for Publicly Accessible Chargers, 50% for Restricted, and 100% in Disadvantaged Communities.

New York is also part of a 14-State and Washington, D.C., Collaboration that will Ensure that 100% of All New Medium-Duty and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Sales be Net Zero by 2050.

There is an Interim Target of 30% Zero-Emission Vehicle Sales in these Categories of Vehicles by 2030. The States are: California, Connecticut, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Cuomo’s Charge NY Goal is 10,000 EV Charging Stations by the end of 2021 and 850,000 Zero Emission Vehicles by 2025.

Under the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) Drive Clean Rebate Program, more than $35 million in Rebates have now Resulted in more than 25,000 EV Purchases as of June 2020.

Allison Considine, New York Campaign Representative with the Sierra Club, said: To meet our climate crisis and protect public health, New York has got to plug in almost everything that moves — and we need the electric vehicle charging infrastructure to do it. We applaud [New York Department of Public Service] for listening to the voices of many advocates calling for strong utility investment in EV charging.

Kevin Miller, Director of Public Policy at EV infrastructure Company ChargePoint, who is Working with the State and other Stakeholders on the EV Make-Ready program, said: This statewide framework will result in the creation of thousands of jobs, help to achieve statewide energy and environmental goals, and make it easier for New Yorkers to ride and drive electric. Utilities will play a key role in the transition to electric mobility by leveraging private market investment, promoting customer choice in equipment and network services, and supporting equitable access to electric transportation.

Where the Charging Infrastructure goes, the Electric Vehicles will follow. So this big Push in New York means that the State’s Public should feel more Confident in Purchasing EVs as the Number of Charging Stations rapidly multiply. This is a Strong Initiative for Supporting EV Growth, and it’s obviously also great for Promoting the Reduction of Emissions.