NYPA Press Release

Charging Hub Installed by New York Power Authority Adds Another Amenity to City’s Re-energized Downtown, Adds Third EVolve NY Site in Mid-Hudson Region

Installation through Downtown Revitalization Initiative Advances New York’s Clean Energy Goals for Transportation Sector

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The New York Power Authority (NYPA) and the Department of State (DOS) today announced deployment of the first open access electric vehicle (EV) fast chargers in downtown Middletown in the Mid-Hudson Region. The two-charger hub adds another Hudson Valley site to NYPA’s EVolve NY high-speed charging network and helps to advance New York State’s clean energy goals for the transportation sector. Middletown is one of six cities deploying EVolve NY chargers as part of the State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), making EV driving a more accessible option for local residents and travelers from other states. The DRIve EV Downtown initiative is a collaboration between NYPA and DOS.

The Middletown site, in the South Street parking lot across from the Paramount Theatre, is part of the EVolve NY fast charging network, which is bringing high-speed open access charging to key locations along primary travel corridors and in urban areas to encourage the adoption of EVs. More than 100 high speed chargers are currently operational across New York State on the EVolve NY network.

“NYPA’s fast, affordable and reliable charging network is helping New Yorkers drive electric and recognize the benefits of a cleaner and more efficient transportation system,” said NYPA Interim President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll. “This hub, in the central business district, is a great place for residents without a place to charge at home or for folks traveling to park, charge and enjoy the downtown.” 

Downtown Revitalization Efforts

The City of Middletown is growing as a result of new and expanding businesses and educational institutions in and around the city. Middletown included the chargers as part of its ongoing revitalization and development efforts to build on recent public and private investments to create a truly vibrant, year-round central business district that serves as the economic, civic and cultural center of the community.

“Sustainable infrastructure is an important building block for downtown revitalization,“ said Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez.  “These EV charging stations are the perfect complement to the impressive array of projects completed by Middletown through the DRI.  DOS and NYPA have forged a productive partnership that will continue to equip our downtowns with clean, climate-friendly infrastructure throughout the State.”    

The two Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFC) can charge most of the battery capacity in any make or model of EV in as little as 20 minutes. The charging stations, on the Shell Recharge network, are equipped with fast-charging connectors—a combined charging system rated at up to 150 kW and a CHAdeMO connector rated at up to 100kW—so all electric vehicles, including Tesla cars with an adapter, can plug in.

“The DRI award was instrumental in downtown Middletown’s revitalization efforts. We were determined to incorporate green infrastructure into our parking improvement projects and the Erie Way Park Project,” said City of Middletown Mayor Joseph M. DeStefano. “Installing these electric chargers is a way to build upon the City’s commitment to greener technologies that are beneficial for the environment and reduce pollution. We are thankful that the State and the Governor made this commitment to expand electric vehicle charging, which will encourage more electric vehicles on the road by increasing accessibility.”

Other DRI locations that have included EV fast charging are Amsterdam (Montgomery County), Geneva (Ontario County), Riverhead (Suffolk County), Utica (Mohawk Valley) and Oswego (Oswego County).

Orange & Rockland (O&R) President and CEO Robert Sanchez said, “We’re excited to help as many of our customers as possible enjoy the healthy, low carbon, clean energy ride electric vehicles (EVs) offer. O&R’s PowerReady Program (PRP) was created to support increasing demand for EVs with incentives for developing more charger installations like the one NYPA built here. PRP incentives funded 100 percent of the work needed to bring power to NYPA’s EV chargers in this installation.”

John Doran, president of PlugIn Stations Online, which installed the chargers, said, "PISO is proud to have partnered with NYPA, Orange and Rockland Utilities, ABB and the City of Middletown to build out the infrastructure along this critical corridor for the continued adoption of electric vehicles."

In the Mid-Hudson Region, four new fast chargers, also part of the EVolve NY network, recently began operating in Liberty Heights, 1935 NY-52, a site that allows electric vehicles, truck-towing trailers and electric buses to pull into the spaces. A charging hub is also operational at Tops Friendly Markets in LaGrangeville.

New York State

Governor Kathy Hochul recently called for major regulatory action that will require all new passenger cars, pick-up trucks and SUVs sold in New York State to be zero-emissions by 2035. Governor Hochul has also proposed that all school buses be zero emissions by that the same year. Proposing draft regulations is a crucial step to further electrify the transportation sector and help New York achieve its climate requirement of reducing greenhouse gases 85 percent by 2050.

New charging installations are supported by the Governor’s “Make Ready” program, which uses funding from investor-owned utilities to reach a goal of deploying more than 50,000 chargers by 2025. Such electrification efforts, in collaboration with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and other state and industry partners, will help the state reach its aggressive clean energy goals as outlined in the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

New York State hosts 1,071 public fast chargers at 251 locations, according to the U.S. Dept. of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center, although they range in speed from 25kW to 350kW which equates to varying charging times. More than 600 are Tesla-only chargers.

EV owners can locate public chargers using smartphone apps such as Shell Recharge, Electrify America, PlugShare, ChargeHub, ChargeWay, EV Connect, ChargePoint, Google Maps, or the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center. For a map showing EVolve NY chargers, click here. Note that the EVolve chargers operate on the Electrify America and Shell Recharge networks.  Credit cards are accepted to charge; no subscription or membership needed.

View photo of the Middletown site.