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Patchogue delays activation of train station solar array; charging stations held until fall
Summary
Village officials say Johnson Controls is missing a final component and PSE&G requires a secondary shutdown line, pushing full solar activation and EV charging station availability from July toward October.
Village of Patchogue officials said a delay in required equipment and a utility safety requirement will push full activation of the pump‑house/rail station solar array and associated electric vehicle charging stations from a hoped‑for July date to likely October.
At the meeting, a village official said Johnson Controls — the contractor handling the system integration — had informed the village that a final part needed to bring the system online had not arrived on schedule. That delay means the solar array will be physically installed and producing some light, but the village cannot begin netting energy credits or operate the new charging stations until the integration is complete.
The official also described an additional condition imposed by PSE&G for this larger installation: a secondary, redundant shutdown line tied to a fiber connection (identified in the discussion as Verizon) that would allow systems to be remotely disabled within milliseconds in an emergency. That backup requirement, the official said, is a regional utility policy for larger systems in the Long Island area and adds time and cost to the final hookup.
Village staff said they had hoped to flip the system on in July but were now told the activation was more likely in October. The village is accepting the delay while continuing to press the vendor and the utility for a faster schedule.
Officials also said they will not install the EV charging stations until the solar array is fully connected and producing power to avoid creating confusion for users; the chargers will be installed “immediately after” the solar system is commissioned, according to the presentation.
Background and next steps: village staff said they held a recent meeting with Johnson Controls and are tracking the parts delivery, utility coordination and the fiber‑line requirement. The village will inform the public when a firm activation date is set and when charging stations will be available.
Affected parties: the village, Johnson Controls, PSE&G and Verizon (for the fiber backup) were named in the discussion; contractors and downtown stakeholders were identified as monitoring the schedule for the lighting and station use.
No formal vote was recorded in the transcript for this item; the discussion was presented as a project update and timeline change.
