The project is expected to increase the use of electric cars throughout the region and is the result of a multi-state effort supported by Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia. It also incorporates input from automobile manufacturers, utilities, EV charging companies and others.
The multi-state effort was facilitated by the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM). The regional strategy offers a vision for electric vehicle charging infrastructure investment and provides a compilation of recommendations to ensure public and private funding decisions are strategically integrated. These recommendations include the expansion of the fast charging network along heavily travelled corridors, utility actions to lower the costs of charging at home, especially at multi-unit dwellings where high upfront installation costs such as electrical infrastructure upgrades can be a barrier; and state incentives and outreach programs to promote workplace charging.
The strategy has been applauded by ‘Drive Change. Drive Electric’ - a coalition of Northeast states and automakers to advance consumer awareness, understanding, and consideration of electric cars.
“While these states are already making substantial investments in charging infrastructure and offering a range of policies and programs to promote driving electric, the strategy will help accelerate awareness of the growing number of charging stations and ensure the deployment of a robust charging network that meets the needs of the growing and projected community of electric car drivers” said Elaine O’Grady, a senior policy advisor at NESCAUM working on both the ‘Drive Change. Drive Electric.’ campaign and the “Northeast Corridor Regional Strategy for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure.
As part of a legal settlement between the federal government and Volkswagen addressing Clean Air Act violation claims, the Northeast Corridor states, from Virginia to Maine, have up to $108 million that may be invested on charging and hydrogen fuelling infrastructure for electric cars. Electrify America, a Volkswagen subsidiary, is investing $2 billion to promote electric vehicles, which will include substantial infrastructure investments in the Northeast Corridor.
In addition, utilities in Delaware, D.C., Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island have proposals approved or pending, representing an investment of roughly $200 million for charging infrastructure and other actions to increase the use of electric cars.
A key objective of the “Northeast Corridor Regional Strategy for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure” is to coordinate these and other investments to buildout a charging network with the capacity to serve the millions of electric cars the states envision on their roads in the next decade.
For additional information:
‘Northeast Corridor Regional Strategy for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure’
