Ribbon Cut for Kingston High-Speed EV Chargers

KINGSTON – Governor Kathy Hochul Friday announced that New York’s first high-speed chargers for electric vehicles funded through President Biden’s historic National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program are now operating in the City of Kingston, in Ulster County in the Hudson Valley. The NEVI program was created as part of the landmark Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law by President Biden in 2021 and provides New York State $175 million in dedicated federal funding to support the strategic deployment of electric vehicle Level 3 Direct Current Fast Charging infrastructure and establish an interconnected network for reliable charging, with an emphasis on locations near interstate highway exits.

“As New York State continues to advance its nation-leading climate agenda, it’s imperative that we make key investments in the infrastructure needed to support the transition to electric vehicles,” Governor Hochul said. “The opening of this site, the first of its kind in New York State utilizing federal NEVI funding made available as part of the historic IIJA, is a major step forward in creating the vast network of charging stations that will help more consumers transition to electric vehicles. This station, combined with a network of stations to come, will ensure New York continues to be at the forefront in the fight against climate change.”

The four-charger hub in the Bank of America parking lot at 451 Washington Ave., just off of I-87, 60 miles south of Albany, is one of the first in the nation to be installed through the NEVI program, administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration and supported by the U.S. Joint Office of Energy and Transportation. As announced by Governor Hochul, with the approval of NY’s annual NEVI Plan update in September, New York State received its second annual formula fund apportionment of $37.4 million in NEVI program funding to continue the expansion of New York’s electric charging infrastructure, which is a portion of the $175 million over the five-year life of the program. The activation of this EV charging site was made possible by the strong collaboration between New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) who have partnered to complete the first phase of the program—approximately $20 million—to complete the build out of the state’s electric vehicle alternate fuel corridors by expanding the Power Authority’s EVolve NY fast charging network and filling in gaps along these designated corridors to give EV drivers more options for quick, convenient charging and encourage more New Yorkers to drive electric. The development of this additional, publicly accessible charging infrastructure helps New York State advance its transition to zero-emission vehicles by 2035 and further its carbon-reduction goals.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said, “Thanks to President Biden, more and more EV chargers are coming online around the country as we work to deliver a nationwide network of charging stations by the end of the decade. Securing America’s position as a world leader on EVs will grow our economy and create a new generation of good-paying jobs.”

U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said, “Today marks another historic milestone in the Biden-Harris Administration’s push for the first ever national endeavor to build a convenient, reliable, and made-in-America charging network. New York’s energized NEVI station shows the President’s Investing in America agenda in action: an investment in our clean energy economy that’s creating good-paying jobs and lowering costs for American families and drivers.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, “Our Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law is supercharging the electric vehicle future in New York, and I am proud to announce the first federally-funded, fast electric charging station has powered up in the Hudson Valley. Kingston will be among the first in the nation, and the first in New York State to get us on the road to a cleaner electric future. And with $175 million to supercharge from our Infrastructure Law on the way to New York State these high-speed chargers mark the first of many new stations, propelling us towards a cleaner, more sustainable future for all.”

Governor Hochul signed legislation in 2021 requiring all new passenger cars, pickup trucks and SUVs sold in New York State be zero emission by 2035. The legislation will help to advance the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which establishes bold targets for decreasing greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector and calls for emissions to be reduced 85 percent by 2050.