SCHUMER SECURES OVER $700,000 FOR ONEIDA COUNTY THROUGH BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE & JOBS LAW TO INSTALL 40+ NEW ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS IN THE MOHAWK VALLEY
Schumer Helped Create New EV Charger Grant, Now Fed $$$ Will Help Power Up EV Charging Stations Across Oneida County In The City of Utica, City of Rome, Town of Whitestown, And More
Schumer: The Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law Will Help Supercharge EV Infrastructure For Oneida County!
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer today announced that he has secured $708,229 in federal funding for Oneida County, in partnership with the Herkimer-Oneida Counties Transportation Council (HOCTC) and regional Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), to help install an estimated 41 electrical vehicle (EV) charging stations across the county.
The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program, which the senator created in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act. Schumer said the project will support the growing demand for electric vehicle use, lower air pollution, and reduce the overall environmental footprint of Oneida County by increasing the availability of charging stations in areas where demand is high, but sufficient charging capabilities may not yet exist.
“Oneida County just got a major jolt from the Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law to help power up new electric vehicle charging stations in the Mohawk Valley. Electric vehicles are booming in popularity, and for this industry to succeed we need to make it so charging your car is as easy and convenient as filling up a gas tank, and today’s investment will help us to do just that by bringing more charging stations to where people work and gather in Oneida County from Utica to Rome,” said Senator Schumer. “When I led the Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law to passage, it was investments like these that help boost the local economy and improve air quality that I had in mind. Oneida County is leading the way to build out our nation’s network of EV chargers, supercharging the fight against climate change and helping on the road to a cleaner electric future.”
"This grant will provide a major boost to Oneida County's EV infrastructure and help meet growing demand," said Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. "Adding over 40 charging stations to nine county and state-owned locations across Utica, Rome and Whitestown -including the Utica University Nexus Center and soon-to-be-completed parking garage near the Wynn Hospital- will give our community an even more robust network to support the needs of our residents and draw in visitors. I thank Senator Schumer for securing this funding and for his tireless efforts to elevate our region."
Schumer said the federal funding will help Oneida County install EV charging stations at locations identified as having the highest current need in both urban areas and underserved areas. More specifically, the grant will fund the installation of 41 Level 2 EV charging stations at 9 locations across the City of Utica, City of Rome and the Town of Whitestown, including plans for stations at the Utica University Nexus Center, the Oneida County Parking Garage in downtown Utica, the Boehlert Transportation Center at Union Station, the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Whitestown, and the Oneida County Social Services Building in Rome, and more. The senator said that the project will provide affordable, reliable, accessible, and safe EV charging options for locals and travelers while simultaneously encouraging economic growth in areas of persistent poverty and historically disadvantaged communities, with at least 85% of the funding slated to benefit designated disadvantaged communities. Moreover, the Oneida County project is consistent with the HOCTC Long Range Transportation Plan and meets the MPO regional priorities of connectivity, multimodality, and accessibility. Schumer said that this investment will help accelerate the transition to clean energy by making charging infrastructure more accessible and affordable to those in the Mohawk Valley.
Schumer has been a relentless champion for expanding electric vehicles, helping bring production back from overseas and expanding charging infrastructure for all communities. In the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, that Schumer led to passage, he successfully secured $7.5 billion to build out a national network of EV chargers, including an estimated $175 million over the next 5 years in funding for EV charging stations for New York State. New York’s first federally funded rapid charging EV station was installed last month.
Established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Senator Schumer led to passage, the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program (CFI program) is administering $1.25 billion for a total of $2.5 billion over five years to strategically deploys publicly accessible electric vehicle charging and alternative fueling infrastructure in the places people live and work, in both urban and rural areas, including downtown areas and local neighborhoods, particularly in underserved and disadvantaged communities. This first round of funding makes $700 million from fiscal years 2022 and 2023 funding available to strategically EV charging infrastructure and other fueling infrastructure projects and will make modern and sustainable infrastructure accessible to all drivers of electric, hydrogen, propane, and natural gas vehicles. These types of programs will accelerate the deployment of transformative projects that will help to ensure the reliability of the clean energy infrastructure, so all American communities have access to affordable, reliable, clean electricity anytime, anywhere.
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