Yahoo Autos State takes electrifying leap with charging station of the future: ‘[This] will create jobs and stimulate economic growth in local communities’
In December, New York opened its first electric vehicle charging station funded by the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program.
The station is located in Kingston, about two hours north of New York City and an hour south of Albany. NEVI is a product of the Biden-Harris administration, which is pushing to sustainably build and renew the country’s infrastructure with its Investing in America agenda.
In New York, the Power Authority plans to open more than 12 NEVI-financed charging stations by the end of the year. The state has goals to make all new passenger vehicles produce zero tailpipe pollution by 2035 and to reduce its planet-warming pollution by 85% by 2050.
“By utilizing these critically important federal funds … our state Department of Transportation and Power Authority will create a state-of-the art charging network that will encourage more people to own EVs and help make a stop at the gas station a thing of the past,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a news release.
NEVI is helping states put together a nationwide network of charging stations, and up to 80% of eligible project costs can be covered. Businesses such as IKEA, Kroger, and Target are on the bandwagon too.
“Widespread EV adoption supported and driven by the installation of these stations enhance national energy security and reduce the vulnerability of American transportation to oil price fluctuations,” according to the release. “The overall development and maintenance of a robust charging network supported by NEVI funds will create jobs and stimulate economic growth in local communities, while public and private investments in EV charging infrastructure will catalyze technological innovation across multiple economic sectors.”
Shifting our reliance on dirty energy sources such as coal, oil, and gas to clean energy sources such as solar and wind is vitally important since dirty energy sources are the leading cause of pollution.
In the United States, 29% of toxic gases that contribute to the warming of our planet come from the transportation sector. Gas-powered light-duty vehicles, which make up 58% of that slice of the pie, could be replaced by EVs, but a clean future would still involve changing our travel habits to feature walking, cycling, and using public transit.
As for the aforementioned EV development, more of the same is on the way. Columbus, Ohio, edged out Kingston by days when it opened the nation’s first NEVI station, and Pittston, Pennsylvania, followed suit in January. Vermont and Maine will soon join the charge.
“NEVI is a concerted effort to ensure the EV future of tomorrow is thoughtfully planned, efficiently built, and meets the needs of all Americans, regardless of where they live,” per the release.
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