New High-Speed Chargers for Electric Vehicles Now Operating in Niagara Falls
New High-Speed Chargers for Electric Vehicles Now Operating in Niagara Falls
For Immediate Release: 3/02/22
Contact: Lynne Smith | lynne.smith@nypa.gov | (914) 346-4656
Niagara Consumer Square Hub Marks First EV Fast Charging Site on U.S. Side and Extends New York Power Authority’s Cross-State EVolve NY EV Charging Network to Western New York
Latest New York High-Speed Charging Hub Helps Advance New York’s Clean Energy Goals for Transportation Sector
LEWISTON—The New York Power Authority (NYPA) today announced the first fast charging stations open to any make or model of electric vehicles (EVs) on the U.S. side of Niagara Falls. The four new EV parking lot chargers, installed by NYPA, are at Niagara Consumer Square, 7200 Niagara Falls Blvd., just four miles from Niagara Falls State Park. The latest location brings the number of chargers in NYPA’s EVolve NY high-speed charging network to 72 and offers a fast, convenient EV charging stop for travelers visiting the iconic waterfalls or other scenic attractions in the city of Niagara Falls.
“NYPA’s EVolve NY network is placing high speed chargers throughout New York State, from Buffalo to New York City, so EV drivers can easily travel without worrying about where their next charge will come from,” said NYPA Chairman John R. Koelmel. “Making it easier for people to utilize zero-emission transportation to visit one of the most famous waterfalls in the world and a top New York destination also will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and bring the state another step closer to a transition to a clean energy economy.”
The Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFC), pictured here, 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.
The Niagara Falls 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 systems, so all electric vehicles can plug in and charge. (Note: Tesla drivers need to supply an adapter).
"Niagara Falls is synonymous with electric power and now recharging your vehicle here will be as easy as refueling at a gas station," said Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino. "We are pleased that our partners at NYPA have added these new Direct Current Fast Chargers to our city."
The city also has 10 public level 2 chargers, which are used for charging during a longer stop.
The Niagara Falls location is one of three Benderson Development sites that will host NYPA fast charging stations. The others are Plattsburgh (operational) in the North Country and Victor in Ontario County in the Finger Lakes, coming this spring.
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. The new installation also complements the Governor’s “Make Ready” program, which will use funding from investor-owned utilities to reach a goal of deploying more than 50,000 chargers by 2025. Such electrification efforts, in collaboration with 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 outlined in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.
EVolve NY
Niagara Falls marks the 72nd fast charger in the EVolve NY network, with 22 more that are already installed and soon will be operational across New York State in the next few months. 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 857 public fast chargers at 200 locations, although they range in speed from 25kW to 350kW which equates to varying charging times. More than 500 are Tesla-only chargers.
Other EVolve NY sites operating throughout the state include John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGrangeville in the Mid-Hudson Region, Schodack, Moreau and Saratoga Springs in the Capital Region, Oneonta and Amsterdam in Mohawk Valley, two sites in Syracuse in Central New York, Binghamton in the Southern Tier, Fairport and Geneva in the Finger Lakes, and Watertown, Malone, Schroon Lake and Plattsburgh in the North Country region. For a map noting EVolve NY chargers, click here.
EV owners also can locate public chargers using smartphone apps such as Greenlots, PlugShare, ChargeHub, ChargeWay, Electrify America, Google Maps, or the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center.
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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.