New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced utility companies can fully implement New York's electric vehicle infrastructure program known as "EV Make-Ready," which will deploy more than 50,000 new public and commercial Level 2 charging ports across the state by 2025 — increasing the number of non-residential charging ports in New York State by more than tenfold within four years.
The announcement follows the NY State Public Service Commission approving the accounting rules by which all of the major investor-owned utilities in New York State — Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation, Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc., New York State Electric & Gas Corporation, National Grid, Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc. and Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation — can continue to implement the program.
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EV Make-Ready program provides funding for the infrastructure required to support more than 50,000 new public and commercial Level 2 charging ports, capable of charging a vehicle at least two times faster than a standard wall outlet, and 1,500 public DC (direct current) fast charger ports in New York in recognition of the essential role that public fast charging ports will play in the near term to allay range anxiety. Before the program began, there were 4,571 publicly accessible chargers statewide. This program will increase the number of publicly accessible chargers in New York State more than tenfold.
The EV Make-Ready program is funded by investor-owned utilities in New York State and creates a cost-sharing program that incentivizes utilities and charging port developers to site electric vehicle charging infrastructure in places that will provide a maximal benefit to consumers. The Commission capped the total budget at $701 million and it will run through 2025, with a minimum of $206 million allocated toward equitable access and benefits for lower socioeconomic and disadvantaged communities. EV charging ports in disadvantaged communities are eligible for a higher incentive, supporting up to 100 percent of the costs to make a site ready for EV charging. Rules governing the EV Make-Ready program have been in effect on a temporary basis since Jan. 1, 2021. Today's decision makes those rules permanent.
Encouraging private investment in publicly accessible fast-charging ports will stimulate the EV market in New York over the coming years. While the initial focus was on funding projects located in communities served by investor-owned utilities, the Commission said that the objectives to advance the state's transportation electrification goals, expand access to clean transportation, and reduce emissions in disadvantaged communities are relevant across the entire state.
The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), with its service provider, PSEG Long Island, has announced a goal to support 180,000 new EVs on Long Island with 4,745 new EV charging ports by 2025, with a proposed investment of $89 million in make-ready infrastructure over the next four years.
Customers in Long Island and other regions of New York State that fall outside of the investor-owned utility service territories can leverage the innovative prize competition design and administrative capabilities developed by NYSERDA for the "New York Clean Transportation Prizes".
The Commission's objectives to advance the state's transportation electrification goals, expand access to clean transportation, and reduce emissions in disadvantaged communities should be pursued by all communities throughout the state, without regard to the particular electric service provider or regulatory framework that governs that service, and a coordinated, statewide approach is needed to meet the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) requirements, and that all New Yorkers should share in the benefits of the CLCPA.
The CLCPA includes the requirements that all state agencies prioritize greenhouse gas emissions reductions in disadvantaged communities and that no less than 35 percent of the overall benefits of spending on clean energy programs benefit disadvantaged communities. EV Make-Ready costs include utility-owned make-ready work, customer-owned make-ready work, make-ready implementation and other programs costs.
