Picente Releases Electric Vehicle Charging Station Inventory and Community Plan

Multi-Year Strategy Will Build out Critical EV Infrastructure

Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. announced today the release of an updated Electric Vehicle Charging Station Community Plan encompassing Oneida and Herkimer Counties.

“We all saw at the recent opening of Wolfspeed in Marcy that electric vehicles are an important part of the future of transportation nationally and a key piece of our economy in this county and region,” Picente said. “We are committed to seeing all aspects of this industry grow and that includes preparing Oneida County to be a leader in Upstate New York electric vehicle infrastructure.”

The objective of the Electric Vehicle (EV) Plan is to recommend strategies for supporting current and future EV drivers traveling within the region and between regions across the state. The range of EVs continues to improve each year and is quickly approaching that of a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle that uses petroleum fuel. However, there remains a critical need for additional charging stations to facilitate longer distance travel, support inter-county commutes and provide access to charging opportunities for more moderate-income households and owners of earlier generations of EVs.

The plan identifies gaps where public infrastructure is not currently available in the region to support EV drivers and recommends charging station installations at key locations to establish a comprehensive charging network. Additionally, this plan identifies various socioeconomic, geographical and educational resource barriers that may contribute to a hesitancy towards making the switch from an ICE vehicle to an EV.

Oneida County will also create an EV dashboard that will show the public exactly where charging stations are; update in real time the progress of additional charger installations and offer other metrics to track the progress of this infrastructure build out.

Picente has committed to including 67 EV charging stations in the parking garage being built in conjunction with the Mohawk Valley Health System Wynn Hospital in downtown Utica, with the ability to expand to as many as 300.

“The plan outlines a 5+ year implementation timeline to address this growing need,” said Oneida County Commissioner of Planning James Genovese. “There are 14 concrete steps spread over the timeframe that range from site level planning to installation of stations to improving signage and visibility around locations, as well as steps that will allow for continued reassessment and community involvement.”

The multi-year implementation timeline includes:

0-2 years

• Identify relevant stakeholders.
• Establish an EV charging station ownership/continuity model.
• Develop an approved listing of EV charging station sites based on stakeholder discussions.
• Commence site-level planning.
• Select a charging station equipment provider.
• Determine funding needs, timelines and permit requirements.
• Identify and apply for federal and state funding for EV infrastructure.
• Install EV charging stations for approved sites.
• Develop platform for residents and non-residents to easily locate EV charging stations (the Oneida County EV Charging Station Dashboard).

2-5 years

• Update approved listing of EV charging station sites.
• Install EV charging stations for approved sites.
• Install signage and visibility improvements related to stations.

5 years+

• Reassess areas of greatest need for additional EV charging stations.
• Identify advancements in EV charging technology to replace outdated units.

The Electric Vehicle Charging Station Plan can be viewed here.