Fourth Site in Statewide Network to Encourage More Widespread Use of Electric Vehicles and Make Fast Charging More Accessible and Convenient
New York Power Authority Initiative to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the North Country and Help State Reach its Aggressive Clean Energy Goals
Malone, N.Y. — New York State today unveiled its first fast charger for electric vehicles (EV) in Franklin County. The 100 kilowatt Direct Current Fast Charger (DCFC) at the Franklin County Courthouse in Malone is the fourth location completed as part of a statewide EVolve NY charging network being installed along key travel corridors and in urban areas to encourage travelers to drive EVs. The New York Power Authority (NYPA) initiative makes charging quick and convenient and helps accelerate Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s ambitious statewide clean energy goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector.
“Driving electric creates a healthier environment while helping the state achieve its clean energy goals,” said NYPA President and CEO Gil C. Quiniones. “The installation of the Malone high-speed charging station, as part of NYPA’s EVolve NY charging infrastructure program, makes it easier and more convenient for residents in the North Country to own EVs and also encourages travelers to come and visit the local area.”
Malone’s two-port charger, installed in the parking lot at the Franklin County Courthouse, is the first fast charger over 50kW that provides non-proprietary charging in the North Country, meaning it can power any fully electric vehicle, regardless of make or model. The only other fast chargers in the region are Supercharger sites that can only be used by Teslas. Preparations were made so a second fast charger can be easily added at the site in the future.
“The station will have increasing importance and potential as we will see significant investment and transformational projects coming to downtown Malone in the adjacent blocks and across Route 11 over the next few years,” said Russ Kinyon, director of Economic Development, Franklin County Local Development Corporation. “This station will be well placed for visitors to the courthouse and those new developments, as well as our Canadian and regional travelers and those who pass through and make stops in Malone. I’ve heard people say, “we never see electric vehicles here, so why do we need one?” Well, if you don’t have the infrastructure, you can’t support that traffic. So, I believe we’ll start to get on the map for those drivers, as well.”
The new installation complements the Governor’s “Make Ready” program, which will use funding from investor-owned utilities to add even more EV charging stations that will be built in key locations to support expanded EV use with a goal of deploying more than 50,000 chargers by 2025. Such electrification efforts, in collaboration with the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), will also help the state reach its aggressive clean energy goals outlined in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, legislation that was signed into law last year.
NYPA’s first two Evolve NY charging hubs were announced in Watertown in Jefferson County and LaGrangeville in the Mid-Hudson Valley. A 10-charger station – the largest public EV fast-charging station in the Northeast – was unveiled Friday at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Two additional locations will be announced in coming weeks. By the end of 2021, EVolve NY’s fast charging network will include up to 200 chargers at 50 locations along major New York transportation corridors, as well as in key urban hubs from Buffalo to New York City.
Access to fast chargers, which charge an EV in as little as 20 minutes, fills key gaps to wider adoption of EVs, making them an easier and realistic choice for drivers. “Level 2” public chargers, often seen at homes, businesses and workplaces, can take up to six hours for a full charge and are intended for use while drivers are working or shopping, or for those who don’t have access to charging at home or work.
NYPA launched its EVolve NY initiative in 2018 to expand fast charging along key travel corridors, create new charging hubs in major cities and airports, and establish electric vehicle-friendly model communities that will encourage residents to transition to driving electric vehicles.
Information about the Malone EVolve NY fast chargers, and others coming online, can be found on PlugShare or by downloading the Chargeway app.
About EVolve NY
EVolve NY is the New York Power Authority’s initiative to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) throughout the state. The program creates private-sector partnerships to expand fast-charging infrastructure and make EVs more user-friendly for all New Yorkers. NYPA is installing fast chargers along major interstate corridors, in five major cities and at New York City airports. EVolve NY supports New York State’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 and is a key pillar of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Charge NY 2.0 program to launch 10,000 public EV charging stations by 2021. For more information, contact evolveny@nypa.gov or visit www.nypa.gov/innovation/programs/evolveny.
New York State’s Nation-Leading Climate Plan
Governor Cuomo’s nation-leading climate plan 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 builds back better as it recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Enshrined into law through the CLCPA, New York is on a path to reach its mandated goals of a zero-emissions electricity sector by 2040m including 70% renewable energy generation by 2030, and to reach economy-wide carbon neutrality. It builds on New York’s unprecedented ramp-up of clean energy including a $3.9 billion investment in 67 large-scale renewable projects across the state, the creation of more than 150,000 jobs in New York’s clean energy sector, a commitment to develop over 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035, and 1,800 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011. New York’s Climate Action Council is working on a scoping plan to build on this progress and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent from 1990 levels by 2050, while ensuring that at least 40 percent of the benefits of clean energy investments benefit disadvantaged communities, and advancing progress towards the state’s 2025 energy efficiency target of reducing on-site energy consumption by 185 TBtus.