A federal program to substantially increase the number of public charging stations for electric cars is the subject of a virtual public hearing scheduled for 1 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20.
The state’s transportation department will use the $175 million it receives over five years through the federal program to place charging stations for passenger vehicles in designated corridors, no more than 50 miles apart.
The national electric-vehicles program was created under the Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act enacted in November 2021.
In June 2022, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the launch of the state’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program website to provide information on the electric-vehicles program, administer a short survey aimed at collecting user data, and allow people to sign up for alerts as more information becomes available.
The plan, according to Governor Hochul, is to reduce the impact of climate change across New York State.
“A strategic plan for the continued development of EV infrastructure is paramount to achieving an environmentally sound and reliable transportation system across New York State,” state transportation department commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said.
An April 2022 bill passed as part of a package of legislation to combat climate change and promote environmental conservation “is what needs to be done to ensure that our infrastructure will be ready to handle the growing number of EVs on the road today and tomorrow,” said the bill’s sponsor, State Sen. Anna M. Kaplan (D-North Hills).
New Yorkers can register here to participate in the virtual hearing. Public input is an important part of developing the plan.
William Mattar, P.C. will continue to follow the plan and provide updates as they arise.