The City of Albany is stepping up its efforts to build the infrastructure needed to electrify the city’s transportation networks.
Albany has received a grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to install 28 “Tier 2” electric charging ports at 14 stations. A Level 2 charger recharges an electric car battery five to seven times faster than a typical home charger.
Mayor Kathy Sheehan says the project is funded through DEC’s Municipal Zero Emissions program.
“We’re really working to make sure we build the infrastructure that we’re going to need to support electric vehicles in the city of Albany,” Sheehan said. “We’re very excited that we’ve been selected for this grant. to allow us to continue to build them. We’ve partnered with the Albany Parking Authority to get them in our garages. And then we’re, you know, building our infrastructure in the street. So these are investments that will be needed. The federal government is offering significant incentives for people to switch to electric vehicles, and we need to be ready to support them.”
National Grid’s Patrick Stella says the utility is also doing its part to support customers switching to electric vehicles.
“National Grid is working on some different payment methods for customers who may have electric vehicles,” Stella said. “Most of the time customers charge by charging an electric vehicle at night, and we’re working on some ways to give customers a break. bill to charge their electric vehicle at night when there’s less use on the system. It’s good for us, system-wise, and good for customers to be able to rest, you know, what it’s going to cost and we’re working on implementing that in the next couple of months.
A report from the website bumper.com finds that in an era of volatile gas prices, Massachusetts, Vermont and New York are the best-positioned states for drivers looking to switch to electric vehicles to save money. Julianne Ohlander is a data analyst for the site.
“It takes a little longer to charge the car than it does to fill it with a tank of gas,” Ohlander said. “And then the electric system will be able to handle the increased demand on it, especially when you know, and in the next decade, that you won’t be able to buy a new gas vehicle.
With New York’s mandate that new cars must be zero-emissions by 2035, Sheehan says installing additional charging points is just the beginning of Albany’s efforts to increase sustainability and combat the climate change.
“We’re focusing on parking lots and garages,” Sheehan said. “But we’ve also passed legislation that will allow us to create on-street locations and ticket people who park there who don’t charge their vehicles. So we know parking is at a premium in the city of Albany, but we to make way for this infrastructure so that our residents can take advantage of it and fulfill these mandates.”
Stella notes that National Grid is working on projects to boost its electric transmission system.
“Obviously it’s, you know, it’s a long process, there are policies and procedures that we have to follow to do electrical work and upgrade power lines, but we’re working with the state to try to expedite that process as best we can. can,” said Stella. “We know there’s going to be more electric vehicles, there’s going to be more, you know, more electrification as we go forward.”
A key part of Albany’s electrification effort involves implementing a “Fleet Electrification Study” by 2022, and Sheehan notes that city departments have already begun replacing fuel-cell vehicles fossils for electric vehicles.
“Right now, for any vehicle to be purchased, if it’s not an electric vehicle, it has to come to me to be signed,” Sheehan said. “I haven’t had to sign off on a non-electric vehicle yet. So we know, we understand that there may be certain special situations, but we think with what’s happened with technology in the advanced advancement of technology that most of our fleet may be electric, you know, the big snow plows and the garbage trucks. That’s a different challenge. And green hydrogen may play a role in that as it goes along, but for the most of our vehicles, we can move forward with electricity.”
Sheehan says as more and more EVs are adopted by residents, businesses, schools and the city, greenhouse gas emissions will decrease, air quality will improve and EV drivers will save money in fuel and maintenance.
