An EV charging program has been approved by the New York Governor Kathy Hochul, which provides drivers with bill discounts when they charge during grid-friendly times. The State Public Service Commission works with New Yorks utilities on so-called managed EV charging programs.
The PSC decision is part of an initiative known as the EV Make-Ready scheme which waa launched by Hochul’s predecessor Andrew Cuomo in 202. The program then banked on a public-private partnership with utilities and charging equipment manufacturers expected to help install 50,000 AC and 1,500 DC charging stations in the US state by 2025 through a cost-sharing program.
Cost-sharing comes through state funds and two major investor-owned utilities in New York State. The commission has capped the total budget at $701 million, which will run through 2025, with a minimum of $206 million allocated toward equitable access and benefits for lower-socio-economic and disadvantaged communities.
The aim is to incentivize utilities and charging port developers to site electric vehicle charging infrastructure in places that will benefit consumers.
Public Service Commission Chair Rory M. Christian said, “By providing EV drivers with incentives for beneficial charging behaviour, the managed charging programs will create a win-win for EV drivers in the form of lower fuel costs and the grid in the form of reduced infrastructure costs.”
New York State has a goal of a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 per cent renewable energy generation by 2030, and to reach economy-wide carbon neutrality.