Assembly approves EV‑ready wiring requirement for new construction, with affordable‑housing exemption

The Assembly passed legislation setting minimum 'EV‑ready' standards for new construction, requiring wiring/panel capacity so properties can support electric vehicle charging. For single‑family and 1–3 unit homes the bill requires at least one EV‑ready circuit per dwelling when off‑street parking or garage space is present. For multi‑unit residential buildings (above three units) the bill requires 100% of spaces be EV‑ready and at least 20% of spaces have active Level‑2 chargers installed; small commercial thresholds are scaled (e.g., one EV‑ready spot per 10 parking spaces). The measure includes a hardship/waiver process for utilities or locations with insufficient capacity and exempts projects designated as affordable housing under state programs (agencies can still choose to include EV infrastructure at their discretion).

Floor debate was extensive. Supporters said installing wiring at construction avoids far higher retrofit costs and is essential to meeting longer‑term transport‑decarbonization goals; dealers and some trade groups supported the plan. Critics — including several upstate members — argued the bill will increase housing construction costs, potentially burden builders and homeowners, and raised questions about fire‑safety, panel capacity and grid preparedness. Sponsors pointed to federal and state grants, NYSERDA programs and existing incentives that reduce front‑end costs and noted an exemption for affordable housing to protect low‑income projects.

The bill passed after a long floor debate; implementation will require local building departments to process waivers and utility coordination. Supporters said the law will accelerate EV adoption by reducing a major infrastructure hurdle; opponents asked for further study of grid and fire‑safety implications.

Next steps include administrative guidance for building departments and monitoring by utilities and code officials.