First Open Access Fast Chargers for Electric Vehicles Now Operating in Plattsburgh

For Immediate Release: 2/03/22
Contact: Lynne Smith | lynne.smith@nypa.gov | (914) 681-6916

 

Consumer’s Square Location is 15^th Site in New York Power Authority’s Cross-State EVolve NY EV Charging Network

 

Latest North Country High Speed Charging Hub Advances New York’s Clean Energy Goals for Transportation Sector

 

 

The New York Power Authority (NYPA) today announced the first fast charging stations open to any make or model of electric vehicles (EVs) in the Town of Plattsburgh in New York’s North Country. The four new parking lot chargers, installed by NYPA, mark one of the northernmost sites in New York State for NYPA’s EVolve NY high-speed charging network and offer a fast, convenient EV charging stop between Albany and Canada.

“No matter where they travel throughout the state, electric vehicle drivers want to know they’ll be able to easily find a charging station so they can charge up and get back on the road quickly,” said NYPA Interim President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll. “NYPA’s EVolve NY network now has dozens of sites located strategically across the state to help make zero-emission transportation an even more obvious choice. The Plattsburgh station will help advance New York’s clean energy goals by supporting the decarbonization of the transportation sector and reduction of overall greenhouse gas emissions 85% by 2050.”

NYPA’s four chargers, each with one port, located at the Consumer Square shopping center, are the town’s first open-access fast chargers. The Consumer Square location is the first of three Benderson Development sites that will host NYPA fast charging stations. The other two are in Niagara Falls in Western New York and Victor in Ontario County in the Finger Lakes, both which should be operational in the first quarter of 2022.

 

“NYPA is leading the charge, quite literally, in developing New York’s electric vehicle infrastructure, and we’re proud to partner in this innovative and important pilot program at several of our properties in upstate New York - starting with this Plattsburgh location,” said Eric Recoon, VP of Development & Leasing for Benderson Development. “Our company is committed to providing first-class services and amenities at our retail centers, and these fast-charging stations will offer an added convenience for shoppers and visitors alike.”

 

The Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFC), pictured here, can be used by any make or model of electric vehicle and can recharge most of the battery capacity in as little as 20 minutes.

“Being Clinton County’s first community designated by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority as a Clean Energy Community we celebrate the new installation of NYPA’s EVolve NY charging stations in the Town of Plattsburgh. Conveniently located in the core of our town center and the economic hub of our region, it is a great service to residents and visitors,” said Plattsburgh Town Supervisor Michael S. Cashman. “The chargers fit well within our adopted smart growth plan - Elevate Plattsburgh - which leads to a greener and more sustainable future. Public private partnerships like this will no doubt enable New York State to meet its climate agenda goals.”

The Plattsburgh site has three 150kW Direct Current Fast Charger (DCFC) stations and one 350kW charger, which is capable of charging a compatible vehicle at speeds up to 20 miles per minute. Two of the charging stations are equipped with both fast charging connectors, Combined Charging System (CCS) and CHAdeMO, so all electric vehicles can plug in and charge.

 

The town also has about 35 public level 2 chargers, which are used for charging during a longer stop.

 

“NYSEG was proud to make significant investments in this project, which will help reduce emissions and accelerate the clean energy transition in the Plattsburgh community,” said Carl A. Taylor, president and CEO of NYSEG, which provided financial assistance through the EV Make-Ready Program and completed the grid interconnection to power the equipment. “Providing expanded access to EV charging stations is important as we seek to support the state’s clean energy goals and is just one of the many ways we are helping customers and local communities build a more sustainable future.”

 

The clean energy initiative supports New York’s Climate Act (the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act), the most aggressive climate and clean energy initiative in the nation, which establishes bold targets for decreasing climate-altering greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution from the transportation sector. 

 

Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed legislation setting a goal for all new passenger cars and trucks sold in New York to be zero-emissions by 2035. Supporting Charge NY, a New York State initiative to get more electric vehicles on the road, other EV charging and deployment initiatives and programs are designed to get 850,000 zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025. Hochul also announced that utility companies can fully implement New York’s groundbreaking “EV Make-Ready” infrastructure program, which will deploy more than 50,000 new public and commercial charging ports across the state by 2025.

 

“Electrify Commercial is delighted to continue its collaboration with NYPA on EVolve NY fast charging stations,” said Rachel Moses, director of Commercial Services, Green Cities & Business Development at Electrify America, which installs, operates and maintains the charging location. “This collaboration strengthens our common goal to provide a convenient, reliable, ultra-fast DC charging network to expand electric transportation and reduce tailpipe emissions in New York.”

 

EVolve NY

Plattsburgh marks the 56^th fast charger of the EVolve NY initiative, with another wave of 34 chargers installed but awaiting completion across New York State over the next few months. Once the EVolve NY buildout phase is complete, New Yorkers will be able to drive any EV across the state with fast chargers capable of recharging their vehicles in 15-30 minutes located every 50 miles or less.

 

New York State hosts 830 public fast chargers at 197 locations, although they range in speed from 25kW to 350kW which equates to varying charging times. More than 500 are Tesla-only.

 

Other EVolve NY sites operating throughout the state include John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGrangeville in the Mid-Hudson Region, Schodack, Moreau and Saratoga Springs in the Capital Region, Oneonta and Amsterdam in Mohawk Valley, two sites in Syracuse in Central New York, Fairport and Geneva in the Finger Lakes, and Watertown, Malone and Schroon Lake in the North Country region.

 

EV owners can locate public chargers using smartphone apps such as Greenlots, PlugShare, ChargeHub, ChargeWay, Electrify America, Google Maps, or the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center.

 

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New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Plan
New York State's nation-leading climate agenda is the most aggressive climate and clean energy initiative in the nation, calling for an orderly and just transition to clean energy that creates jobs and continues fostering a green economy as New York State recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Enshrined into law through the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, New York is on a path to achieve its mandated goal of a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and to reach economy wide carbon neutrality. It builds on New York's unprecedented investments to ramp-up clean energy including over $33 billion in 102 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce buildings emissions, $1.8 billion to scale up solar, more than $1 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and over $1.6 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. Combined, these investments are supporting nearly 158,000 jobs in New York's clean energy sector in 2020, a 2,100 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011 and a commitment to develop 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035. Under the Climate Act, New York will build on this progress and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent from 1990 levels by 2050, while ensuring that at least 35 percent with a goal of 40 percent of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities, and advance progress towards the state's 2025 energy efficiency target of reducing on-site energy consumption by 185 trillion BTUs of end-use energy savings.

About NYPA

NYPA is the largest state public power organization in the nation, operating 16 generating facilities and more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines. More than 80 percent of the electricity NYPA produces is clean renewable hydropower. NYPA uses no tax money or state credit. It finances its operations through the sale of bonds and revenues earned in large part through sales of electricity. For more information visit www.nypa.gov and follow us on Twitter @NYPAenergy, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and LinkedIn.