First Fast Chargers for Electric Vehicles Now Operating in Downtown Saratoga Springs

For Immediate Release: 12/20/21                      
Contact: Lynne Smith | lynne.smith@nypa.gov | (914) 681-6916

New York Power Authority Installs 14^th Site in EVolve NY Cross-State Charging Network, Advances New York’s Clean Energy Goals for Transportation Sector

 

The New York Power Authority (NYPA) today announced the first fast charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) in downtown Saratoga Springs in the Capital Region. The new chargers, installed by NYPA, will give more drivers a reason to visit the city’s downtown area and link Saratoga County into New York State’s EVolve NY fast charging network for EVs. Located at the Saratoga Springs City Center, the four-charger station will help advance New York’s ambitious clean energy goals by helping decarbonize the transportation sector and reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions 85% by 2050.

 

“Saratoga Springs is the latest addition to the New York Power Authority’s growing charging network that is making it easier for electric car drivers to cross the state without having to worry about where their next charge is coming from,” said NYPA Interim President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll. “More people are realizing the benefits of clean transportation and we want to encourage the use of electric vehicles everywhere in the state so we can all benefit from lower fuel costs and reduced emissions while protecting the environment.”

 

The Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFC), pictured here and here, located in the outdoor portion of the lot adjacent to Maple Street, at the Saratoga Springs City Center at the north end of Broadway, can be used by any make or model of electric vehicle and can recharge most of the battery capacity in as little as 20 minutes. Four additional chargers have been newly installed at Stewart’s Shops, 1311 Route 9,in Moreau, 13 miles north of Saratoga Springs – bringing the total of EVolve NY fast chargers to eight in Saratoga County. NYPA has installed 52 chargers at 14 sites across the state since fall of 2020.

 

The Saratoga site supports the city conference center and is just a block off Broadway, the main street for shopping, food and entertainment. Saratoga Springs is known as a hub for thoroughbred horse racing and for its thriving restaurant, nightlife and arts scene. The chargers will serve the tourist destination and key local attractions such as  Skidmore College, the Saratoga Race Course, the harness racing track, spas, Saratoga Performing Arts Center and drivers heading to  the Adirondacks. The city also has about 100 public level 2 chargers, which are used for charging during a longer stop, while the new fast chargers are meant for rapid charging.

 

"The Saratoga Springs City Center is thrilled to be partnering with the New York Power Authority and the City of Saratoga Springs to help bring more electric charging accessibility to the region,” said Ryan E. McMahon, executive director of the Saratoga Springs City Center. “Since the machines have gone live I have seen vehicles charging almost every day and that is before the official notification went out.  Saratoga Springs hosts many visitors each year and adding more green alternatives is important to our residents and guests."

 

The clean energy initiative supports New York’s Climate Act (the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act), the most aggressive climate and clean energy initiative in the nation, which establishes bold targets for decreasing climate-altering greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution from the transportation sector. 

 

New York State is making numerous efforts and investments to electrify the transportation sector and reduce climate-altering greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed legislation setting a goal for all new passenger cars and trucks sold in New York to be zero-emissions by 2035. Supporting Charge NY, a New York State initiative to get more electric vehicles on the road, other EV charging and deployment initiatives and programs are designed to get 850,000 zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025. Under New York State’s Drive Clean Rebate program, more than 52,000 rebates have been issued totaling more than $75 million and more than 100,000 electric vehicles have been sold in New York State.

 

Last month, Hochul announced that utility companies can fully implement New York’s groundbreaking EV infrastructure program known as “EV Make-Ready,” which will deploy more than 50,000 new public and commercial charging ports across the state by 2025

The Saratoga site has three 150kW Direct Current Fast Charger (DCFC) stations and one 350kW charger, which is capable of charging a compatible vehicle at speeds up to 20 miles per minute. Two of the charging stations are equipped with both fast charging connectors, Combined Charging System (CCS) and CHAdeMO, so all electric vehicles, including Tesla cars with an adapter, can plug in and charge. One parking space is ADA accessible.

 

“National Grid supports New York’s Evolve program by contributing more than $2 million to the state’s goal of making 800 new EV fast charging stations available by 2025,” said Laurie Poltynski, National Grid regional director. “New York state has an ambitious energy policy and National Grid is doing its part to support that policy by aggressively working to increase the number of EV stations across the state with the help of EV supporters like the City of Saratoga Springs.”

 

EVolve NY

NYPA’s EVolve NY initiative expects to have 70 fast chargers operational and an additional 30 installed but awaiting completion across New York State by the end of the month, which will put New York on track to having the third largest open-access (available to all EVs) 150kW+ fast charging network in the U.S. by the end of next year. Once the EVolve NY buildout phase is complete, New Yorkers will be able to drive any EV across the state with fast chargers capable of recharging their vehicles in 15-30 minutes located every 50 miles or less.

 

New York State hosts 294 public fast chargers at 131 locations, although they range in speed and some would take more than an hour to recharge big vehicles. Others are Tesla-only.

 

Other EVolve NY sites operating throughout the state include John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGrangeville in the Mid-Hudson Region, Schodack in the Capital Region, Oneonta and Amsterdam in Mohawk Valley, two sites in Syracuse in Central New York, Fairport and Geneva in the Finger Lakes, and Watertown, Malone and Schroon Lake in the North Country Region.

 

EV owners can locate public chargers using smartphone apps such as Greenlots, PlugShare, ChargeHub, ChargeWay, Google Maps, or the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center.

 

New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Plan
New York State's nation-leading climate agenda 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 recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Enshrined into law through the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, New York is on a path to achieve its mandated goal of a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and to reach economy wide carbon neutrality. It builds on New York's unprecedented investments to ramp-up clean energy including over $33 billion in 102 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce buildings emissions, $1.8 billion to scale up solar, more than $1 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and over $1.6 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. Combined, these investments are supporting nearly 158,000 jobs in New York's clean energy sector in 2020, a 2,100 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011 and a commitment to develop 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035. Under the Climate Act, New York will build on this progress and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent from 1990 levels by 2050, while ensuring that at least 35 percent with a goal of 40 percent of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities, and advance progress towards the state's 2025 energy efficiency target of reducing on-site energy consumption by 185 trillion BTUs of end-use energy savings.

About NYPA

NYPA is the largest state public power organization in the nation, operating 16 generating facilities and more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines. More than 80 percent of the electricity NYPA produces is clean renewable hydropower. NYPA uses no tax money or state credit. It finances its operations through the sale of bonds and revenues earned in large part through sales of electricity. For more information visit www.nypa.gov and follow us on Twitter @NYPAenergy, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and LinkedIn.