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Assembly creates Fast Charge New York working group to plan statewide fast-charging network
Summary
The Assembly passed a bill creating a 24-month Fast Charge New York working group to produce a statewide fast-charging implementation plan that integrates existing corridor studies; members pressed for minority appointments, grid reliability input and cost-benefit analysis.
The Assembly voted to establish a Fast Charge New York working group to develop a comprehensive plan for electric vehicle fast-charging stations, sponsor and colleagues said on the floor March 18.
Sponsor remarks described a 24-month working-group process that would draw on existing studies (fast charger highway and freight corridor evaluations) to avoid duplication and produce a coordinated statewide approach. The working group would include appointees from the governor, the legislative leaders, state and local organizations and industry and environmental stakeholders.
Several members used the floor debate to press for technical rigor and broader representation: requests included adding minority appointments, consumer advocates, NYISO or grid reliability representatives, trucking and auto-industry voices, and explicit engineering expertise. Some raised concerns that the working group appointments as drafted appeared to give the governor and legislative majority the largest share of seats and asked that membership be made more balanced.
Members also questioned whether NYSERDA could already perform the work and whether ratepayer-funded programs and existing utility initiatives would be duplicated. Sponsor said the working group is intended to harmonize existing efforts and include utility appointees and charging developers as members.
The Assembly recorded the vote (Ayes 107, Nos 36) and passed the bill; sponsor said the plan would include labor standards, Buy American provisions for component parts and prevailing wage language for construction and maintenance of fast chargers.
The working group, if convened, would be expected to gather data on gaps in fast-charging infrastructure, assess grid implications and propose recommendations to improve the efficiency and equity of charging deployment across the state.
