New Competitive Program Supports the Expansion of Infrastructure to Improve Consumer Access to Electric Vehicle Charging

Initial Round of Funding Focuses on Upstate Charging Along Key Travel Corridors

Governor Kathy Hochul on Sep 13th, announced $21 million is now available to install electric vehicle fast chargers along major travel corridors across New York State. Funded by a federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) grant, the State’s new competitive Upstate NEVI Direct Current Fast Charger (DCFC) program supports the expansion of DCFC infrastructure to improve consumer access to a network of reliable electric vehicle charging. The initial round of funding focuses on locations along and north of Interstate 84, including areas of the State north to the Canadian border and west to Buffalo.

“As we make the transition away from gas-powered vehicles, New York is accelerating the number of electric vehicle fast chargers available to reduce harmful emissions and improve air quality in our communities,” Governor Hochul said. “With the strong support of the Biden-Harris Administration, this federal funding supplements our ongoing investments in clean transportation advancements and ensures drivers throughout the state have access to a quick charge when they need it.”

The competitive Upstate NEVI DCFC Program, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) in partnership with the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), provides funding to qualified electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure developers to install and operate DCFC stations at one or more sites along Federal Highway Administration-designated Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFCs). Proposed sites must meet all federal requirements, including being located within one travel mile of an exit, being publicly accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and having the ability to charge at least four electric vehicles simultaneously. Sites are also required to have no less than 150 kilowatts and must meet federal uptime requirements for the percentage of time the charging station is functional. Proposals that close gaps between existing and planned charging stations, offer amenities such as restrooms and food, or have stations that provide multiple types of charging connectors (CCS and NACS) will be prioritized.

Designated AFCs eligible under the first round of the program include:

• Interstate 81
• Interstate 84
• Interstate 86
• Interstate 87 north of I-84
• Interstate 88
• Interstate 90
• Interstate 190
• Interstate 390
• Interstate 490
• New York 13 between I-86 and I-81
• New York 17 north of I-84

Proposals are due on December 4, 2024 by 3:00 p.m. ET. A complete list of all eligibility rules and evaluation criteria can be found at the solicitation summary on NYSERDA’s website.

NYSERDA will host a webinar on September 19 from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. and another webinar on October 21 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. to provide more details on the solicitation, project requirements and the application process.

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “NYSERDA is eager to facilitate access to this federal support for charging station developers to expand the availability of charging stations in New York. This funding provides more charging options for drivers along highly traveled roads, shortening the distance between stations, reducing range anxiety, and improving system reliability.”

New York State was allocated $175 million under the federal NEVI program and was one of the first states to open a DCFC site with NEVI funding in December 2023. This was quickly followed by two additional locations opening in the first quarter of 2024 and six more DCFC NEVI-funded sites are expected to come online in New York by the end of next year. New York's NEVI Plan describes how the State will invest its funding and was developed by NYSDOT in collaboration with NYSERDA; the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC); the New York Power Authority (NYPA); the New York State Department of Public Service (DPS); the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA); and the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA).

Additionally, Governor Hochul in March announced more than 100 new electric vehicle fast chargers will be built in New York City. Electric vehicle purchases in New York have risen 660 percent in the last five years, and there are currently more than 15,000 chargers (a combination of DCFC and Level 2 chargers) at more than 4,000 locations across the state. Federal funding received in January 2024 has further facilitated this growth with New York State receiving a $15 million Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Program Grant for small- to medium-sized cities, state parks and other tourist destinations, such as hotels to build out the number of EV chargers. Separate federal awards under this program were made to the New York City Department of Transportation and Oneida County. Also, New York State was also awarded $13 million to repair or replace outdated, broken or non-operational electric vehicle charging ports through the Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator Program.

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “As we work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program and this grant will help us by furthering the buildout of New York’s fast-charging infrastructure along our interstate highways, making it easier and more convenient for New Yorkers to use zero emission, electric vehicles on their journeys, reducing range anxiety and improving reliability.”

New York Power Authority President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll said, “Last year, NYPA unveiled one of the nation’s first NEVI-funded charging sites in the Hudson Valley—the first of NYPA’s build-out of nearly two dozen NEVI-funded sites—alleviating range anxiety for electric vehicle owners traveling along the I-87 corridor. The additional $21 million in NEVI funding will support New York’s efforts to bolster EV charging infrastructure Upstate and is reflective of the State's investments to make it easier to drive electric.”

New York State Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G. Hoare said, “With more than 60 universal fast charging stations already in operation, the Thruway Authority is well on its way to creating a robust network of electric vehicle charging stations. This is just one of the numerous initiatives supporting New York State's nation-leading climate agenda and the Thruway Authority's efforts to modernize our infrastructure. By the end of 2025, the Thruway corridor will feature more than 130 fast charging EV stations, with an average distance of 30 miles between each location throughout the system, far exceeding federal guidelines and meeting the needs of our customers.”

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said, “Our Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law is supercharging new electric vehicle charging stations across New York, and this $21 million in federal funding from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure grant program will help install electric vehicle fast chargers across Upstate. We need to make charging your car in New York as easy and convenient as filling up a gas tank. Now, thanks to this impactful federal support and partnership with the state, New York is getting a major jolt to power up brand new electric vehicle charging stations across the entire Empire State.”

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said, “Electric mobility is the future of transportation and will help create a healthier, cleaner environment for all. This $21 million in federal funding that Governor Hochul is now making available will deliver much-needed EV charging infrastructure to major travel corridors and help reduce harmful emissions across New York State. I am proud to have delivered this funding and will continue to fight to create a healthier environment for all.”

Representative Paul Tonko said, “I’m thrilled to celebrate this significant step forward in our fight against the climate crisis and in our effort to expand the use of renewable energy sources here in New York and across the nation. By increasing access to fast EV chargers along key corridors, we are encouraging more New Yorkers to make the switch to electric vehicles – thereby reducing emissions and improving the quality of the air we breathe. Going forward, I’ll continue working to ensure we expand access to EV chargers nationwide, accelerating our transition to a clean energy future.”

Representative Joe Morelle said, “One of the inadequacies of our electric vehicle infrastructure is the limited access to and reliability of chargers along highways and interstates—and correcting this shortfall is critical to securing a green energy future. This $21 million investment will make our cities, towns, and beautiful landscapes more accessible for EV users and will put us on a path to making EV ownership a possibility for everyday people and families. I am grateful to Governor Hochul for her leadership, and I look forward to continuing our work together to expand our green energy infrastructure.”

Assemblymember Didi Barrett said, “On Sep 13th’s announcement of $21 million in funding to build new electric vehicle fast chargers on major upstate highways is timely and welcome news. To grow the number of electric vehicles on our roads, it is critical that we provide New Yorkers and visitors alike with a robust, accessible and reliable charging infrastructure.”

On Sep 13th’s announcement builds on New York State’s nearly $3 billion investment in electrifying its transportation sector, which is vital to meeting the State’s sweeping climate and clean energy plan, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York is rapidly advancing measures that all new passenger cars and trucks sold be zero emissions by 2035, along with all school buses being zero emissions the same year. In addition to the NEVI program, a range of other initiatives grow access to electric vehicles and improve clean transit for all New Yorkers including EV Make Ready, EVolve NY, Charge Ready 2.0, the Drive Clean Rebate, the New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program (NYTVIP), the New York School Bus Incentive Program, and the Direct Current Fast Charger Program.

New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Plan

New York State's climate agenda calls for an orderly and just transition that creates family-sustaining jobs, continues to foster a green economy across all sectors and ensures that at least 35 percent, with a goal of 40 percent, of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities. Guided by some of the nation’s most aggressive climate and clean energy initiatives, New York is advancing a suite of efforts – including the New York Cap-and-Invest program (NYCI) and other complementary policies – to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 and 85 percent by 2050 from 1990 levels. New York is also on a path to achieving a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and economy-wide carbon neutrality by mid-century. A cornerstone of this transition is New York's unprecedented clean energy investments, including more than $28 billion in 61 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the State, $6.8 billion to reduce building emissions, $3.3 billion to scale up solar, nearly $3 billion for clean transportation initiatives and over $2 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. These and other investments are supporting more than 170,000 jobs in New York’s clean energy sector as of 2022 and over 3,000 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, New York also adopted zero-emission vehicle regulations, including requiring all new passenger cars and light-duty trucks sold in the State be zero emission by 2035. Partnerships are continuing to advance New York’s climate action with more than 400 registered and more than 130 certified Climate Smart Communities, nearly 500 Clean Energy Communities, and the State’s largest community air monitoring initiative in 10 disadvantaged communities across the State to help target air pollution and combat climate change.