Governor Cuomo wants to expand the EV market and reduce the cost of installing and operating charging stations, while at the same time use EVs to provide better electrical grid resiliency.
This investment will also support his nation-leading goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030, according to Energy Now.
“Clean cars are the way of the future, and with a tremendous increase in the number of electric vehicles sold this year, it is clear New Yorkers support efforts to combat climate change,” Governor Cuomo said. “Innovation is what drives New York and we are proud to incentivize the development of improved technologies that will create a cleaner, greener and more sustainable future for all.”
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) will be handling solicitations for proposals. The agency is seeking proposals for research projects that show the potential impact of electric vehicles on job growth, technical advances, and the overall economy.
The NYSERDA is particularly looking for business models and technologies to better manage the relationship between electric vehicles and the electric grid. Proposals could focus on the following:
How to reduce the impact of charging vehicles on the grid;
How vehicles can be integrated into buildings to provide backup power; or
How to remotely manage electric vehicle charging at peak times.
“Currently, electric vehicles use power from the grid to charge. However, fully charged vehicles can also return power to the grid, which can help provide resiliency during power outages or during peak times, such as hot summer days,” according to the governor.
The transportation sector in New York accounts for 40 percent of the state’s energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. With electric vehicles being more energy efficient and costing 50 to 70 percent less to operate per mile, compared to gasoline-powered vehicles, it is only good sense to accelerate the growth of EVs.
Yet, as CleanTechnia points out, as of November 1, 2017, with the large number of vehicles operating in New York state, only 23,000 are electric vehicles.
