ALBANY, NY — On Thursday, August 3, Governor Kathy Hochul announced a $12 million initiative to support the development and demonstration of innovative, replicable solutions that advance electric vehicle adoption and the integration of electric vehicles with the electric grid. The initiative also seeks to support novel demonstrations of medium- and heavy-duty electric and hydrogen fuel cell technologies. In addition to supporting the State’s transition to zero-emission vehicles by 2035, the announcement advances the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act requirements to achieve a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040 and reduce emissions 85 percent by 2050.

“As New York continues to advance toward a zero-emission future, it’s imperative that we continue to improve the affordability of clean transportation ownership as we scale up a resilient and reliable energy grid,” Governor Hochul said. “This $12 million initiative offers an innovative way to do both — exploring and supporting options for vehicle charging infrastructure that also provides energy back to the grid. We are committed to making it possible for both residents and companies to transition to owning and charging electric vehicles — building a greener future for all.”

Through this competitive program, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the State seeks to:

• Advance well-managed electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and reduced grid integration costs;
• Improve the economics of EV ownership for residential consumers and commercial fleet managers;
• Spur research and innovation that supports widespread deployment of EVs as a beneficial asset to both EV owners and grid operators including combining EVs with bi-directional charging, energy storage, and on-site energy generation; and
• Demonstrate medium- and heavy-duty vehicle electrification, either through fuel-cell electric vehicles or standard battery operated EVs.

Awards of up to $3 million each will be granted for product development and demonstrations of technologies and business models that help reduce energy demand peaks and provide grid benefits through managed charging/discharging that will lower the overall cost of necessary electric grid infrastructure upgrades. By completing successful demonstrations of electric and fuel cell vehicles in hard-to-electrify use cases, such as heavy on-road vehicles and construction equipment, this initiative is expected to enhance utilization of existing grid infrastructure while contributing to environmental and energy equity and broader deployment of zero-emission vehicles throughout New York State.

Concept papers for consideration for full proposal submission under this new initiative will be accepted through 3:00 p.m. on September 12, 2023. For those selected to move forward, the deadline for full proposal submission is November 8, 2023. A second round of funding may be issued in early 2024 if all funds are not awarded in the first round. To learn more, please register for the informational webinar on August 15, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. For additional information and associated documents, visit NYSERDA’s website.