New York’s 1st Federally Funded EV Station Opens in Ulster County

Governor Kathy Hochul announced Friday, December 15th 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.

NEVI Program in Ulster County, New York

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.

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.

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The activation of this EV charging site was made possible by the strong collaboration between the 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.

Governor Hochul on NEVI Program

Governor Hochul said,

“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. 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 State will soon open a second NEVI site at a Mirabito store in Richmondville in Schoharie County, and a third site is scheduled for completion in North Hudson in Essex County in the Adirondack Park in the coming weeks.