Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the largest open-access electric vehicle fast charging hub in the Southern Tier region is now open. The New York Power Authority developed the 16-charger site at Hancock Town Hall in Delaware County in partnership with Tesla along Route 17, a primary east-west travel corridor between the Hudson Valley and Western New York. It is also adjacent to a town-run dog park where EV drivers can walk their dogs while they charge. The EVolveNY hub is part of New York State’s effort to eliminate “fast charging deserts” and encourage the development of public charging infrastructure that is available to all New Yorkers and visitors. Fully electrifying the transportation sector will help reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that pollute the state’s roadways and help the State reach its nation-leading climate and clean energy goals. Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado, who represented Hancock when he served in the U.S. House of Representatives, made the announcement on behalf of Governor Hochulin Hancock today with NYPA Acting President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll and Hancock Town Supervisor Jerry Vernold.
“Electrifying the transportation sector will enable us to advance our bold climate action goals,” Governor Hochul said. “We are prioritizing our clean transportation future by installing the largest electric vehicle fast charging hub in the Southern Tier – helping boost the clean energy economy of tomorrow and driving New Yorkers to choose cleaner and greener modes of transportation.”
“Hancock is an innovative community and they have embraced a clean energy future by installing this charging bank in a centrally located area where residents or those passing through can conveniently charge electric vehicles,” said Lieutenant Governor Delgado. “When I represented Hancock at the federal level, it was an honor to work in partnership to build a more sustainable future. Today, as Lieutenant Governor, I couldn’t be more proud of the town’s commitment to a cleaner environment and a clean energy economy.”
The new high-speed charging site includes eight universal charging ports installed by NYPA as part of its EVolve NY network and eight Supercharger ports by Tesla for its EVs. The large and well-lit site outside Hancock Town Hall can accommodate new EV pickup trucks and has plenty of parking and turnaround space. The stations are conveniently accessible for EV travel along Interstate 86 and Route 17.
The fast chargers also border the new Hancock Hounds Dog Park and the site also will soon feature a community garden. Travelers can rest, enjoy a meal, or walk their dogs, all while charging their EV. Vending machines also will be added to the site.
The Town of Hancock partnered with NYPA to build the chargers through the EVolve NY program, coordinating its efforts with Hancock Partners, Inc., a non-profit organization that advances economic development opportunities in the region. The site chosen for the chargers once hosted oil tanks owned by John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Co. Today the site is a sign of a new era of environment-focused, emission-free infrastructure that supports an end-to-end clean energy economy.
NYPA maintains the largest open-access high-speed charging network in New York State with 118 ports at 31 sites along major travel corridors, helping ensure that EV drivers in New York don’t have to worry about running out of charge.
The new EVolve NY Direct Current Fast Chargers 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 Electrify America network, are equipped with fast charging connectors — combined charging system (CCS) plugs rated at 150 kW and two CHAdeMO connectors rated at up to 100kW —so all electric vehicles, including Tesla cars with an adapter, can plug in.
New York is investing more than $1 billion in zero-emission cars and trucks over the next five years and Hancock wants to be able to better serve and capitalize on this opportunity. In addition to EVolve NY, this includes the following programs: zero-emission vehicle purchase rebates through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s Drive Clean Rebate Program, zero-emission vehicle and charging infrastructure grants through the Department of Environmental Conservation Climate Smart Communities Municipal Grant Program, as well as the “EV Make Ready” initiative and the Department of Transportation’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program to help expand EV use.
New York Power Authority Acting President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll said, “Providing cleaner and healthier transportation alternatives for the next generation is important for our environment and our economy. This EVolve NY fast-charging site in Hancock is the largest in the Southern Tier region and will serve all EV drivers – regardless of the make of their car. Making charging quick, convenient, and easy will help more New Yorkers make the transition to driving greener vehicles, which will improve our air quality by displacing higher-emission, gas-powered cars and trucks.”
President of Hancock Partners, Inc. Emmanuel Argiros said, “What better way to welcome tourists and visitors to Hancock than to be able to provide them with this much needed resource, during their journey? Our Town Board continues to work towards new and important infrastructure upgrades, coupled with tourism efforts that further advance Hancock’s economic development in the region, and within Delaware County.”
Rachel Moses, Director of Commercial Services, Green Cities & Business Development at Electrify America Rachel Moses said, “Electrify Commercial is proud to continue its collaboration with New York Power Authority to expand access to high quality ultra-fast charging in New York. With the addition of the Hancock station, we are supporting NYPA’s EVolve NY efforts to empower New Yorkers to switch to electric vehicles by providing critically needed infrastructure.”
President and CEO of NYSEG and RG&E Trish Nilsen said, “NYSEG is committed to supporting the State in meeting its greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals. Providing critical access to EV charging is indicative of the public’s increasing adoption of this important beneficial electrification solution. With the Governor’s leadership our Make-Ready Program is helping to create a robust network of EV charging stations throughout the State, and we’re thrilled to have helped facilitate Hancock’s new charging hub.”
State Senator Peter Oberacker said, “Diverse energy options are key to our future and ensuring that all regions of the state receive equal attention is one of my leading priorities. I applaud Hancock Partners and the Town of Hancock for their vision and NYPA for their continued support of winning projects that will grow our infrastructure.”
Assemblymember Joe Angelino said, “I’m happy to see this significant investment come to fruition. This public and private partnership to bring an EV charging station to Hancock is preparing us for the future of transportation, a future that is coming at us quickly. New York State Route 17 is traveled by thousands of vehicles daily, many of these vehicles are electric requiring recharging. To have a fast-charging infrastructure installed is quite an accomplishment, and I’m excited it is located in Hancock.”
Assemblymember Aileen Gunther said, “I’m happy that this project is complete and that motorists and residents passing through our beautiful area have access to a state-of-the-art fast charging station. Stations like this will help to increase tourism to our area and show that we are committed to our environment and a green energy future. Congratulations to the Town of Hancock and I am looking forward to the positive impacts this will have on our communities.”
Hancock Town Supervisor Jerry Vernold said, “Always forward, never back. Hancock is proud to be part of the EVolve NY program. We have already seen dozens of EVs utilizing the station over the holidays. During two snowstorms many were grateful for a safe place to charge that didn’t see them stranded in the cold and truly allowed us to better look out for our residents and neighbors. We are thankful for this funding opportunity to have these EV charging stations located in our community. We look forward to working with the Governor and NYPA on new programs to improve the lives of our town residents and those who visit the greater Hancock New York area.”
New York State has seen record increases in the number of EVs sold, bringing the total number of EVs on the road to more than 127,000 and the number of charging stations in the state to almost 9,000, including Level 2 and fast chargers. Increasing EV sales will help the state reach its aggressive clean energy goals as outlined in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. The goal is to reach 850,000 zero-emission vehicles in New York by 2025. New York State hosts 1,156 public fast chargers at 258 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.
EV owners can locate public chargers using smartphone apps such as Shell Recharge, Electrify America, PlugShare, ChargeHub, ChargeWay, EV Connect, ChargePoint, EVGo, 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. See all EV sites on a map here.
New York State’s Nation-Leading Climate Plan
New York State’s nation-leading climate agenda calls for an orderly and just transition that creates family-sustaining jobs, continues fostering a green economy across all sectors and ensures that at least 35 percent, with a goal of 40 percent, of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities. Guided by some of the nation’s most aggressive climate and clean energy initiatives, New York is on a path to achieving a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and economywide carbon neutrality by mid-century. A cornerstone of this transition is New York’s unprecedented clean energy investments, including more than $35 billion in 120 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce building emissions, $1.8 billion to scale up solar, more than $1 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and over $1.8 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. These and other investments are supporting more than 165,000 jobs in New York’s clean energy sector in 2021 and a 2,100 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, New York also adopted zero-emission vehicle regulations, including requiring all new passenger cars and trucks sold in the State be zero emission by 2035. Partnerships are continuing to advance New York’s climate action with nearly 400 registered and 100 certified Climate Smart Communities, nearly 500 Clean Energy Communities, and the State’s largest community air monitoring initiative in 10 disadvantaged communities across the state to help target air pollution and combat climate change.
