The Herkimer Oneida Counties Transportation Council has recently released an updated Electric Vehicle Charging Station Community Plan encompassing Oneida and Herkimer counties. “We all saw at the recent opening of Wolfspeed in Marcy that electric vehicles are an important part of the future of transportation nationally and a key piece of our economy in this county […]
The Herkimer Oneida Counties Transportation Council has recently released an updated Electric Vehicle Charging Station Community Plan encompassing Oneida and Herkimer counties.
“We all saw at the recent opening of Wolfspeed in Marcy that electric vehicles are an important part of the future of transportation nationally and a key piece of our economy in this county and region,” Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr. said in a news release. “We are committed to seeing all aspects of this industry grow and that includes preparing Oneida County to be a leader in upstate New York electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure.”
The plan’s objective is to recommend strategies for supporting current and future EV drivers traveling within the Mohawk Valley and between regions across the state.
While the range of EVs continues to improve and is approaching that of a conventional internal-combustion engine, there is still a critical need for additional charging stations to facilitate longer-distance travel, support inter-county commutes, and provide access to charging opportunities for more moderate-income households and owners of earlier-generation EVs.
The plan identifies gaps where public infrastructure isn’t available to support EVs and recommends charging-station installations at key locations to establish a charging network. It also identifies socioeconomic, geographical, and educational-resource barriers that may make people hesitant to switch from a gas-powered vehicle to an EV.
According to the plan, there were 854 EVs registered in the two-county region as of 2021. There are 32 public charging stations located primarily in Rome, Utica, and Herkimer, with some in Verona, Webb, Kirkland, and Paris.
It recommends charging stations for Boonville, Camden, and Little Falls along with additional charging stations for Utica and Rome. The plan also recommends Forestport, the town of Frankfort, Cold Brook, Ilion, Westernville, Herkimer, McKeever, and various canal-trail access points be considered for charging stations due to proximity to recreational sites.
Oneida County will create an EV dashboard to show the public exactly where charging stations are, provide real-time updates on progress of additional charger installations, and offer other metrics to track the progress of the EV-charging infrastructure build out.
Picente committed to including 67 charging stations in the parking-garage building built in conjunction with Mohawk Valley Health System’s Wynn Hospital with the ability to expand to as many as 300 stations.
The plan lists 14 steps across five-plus years to address the growing need for charging stations.
The process begins with identifying stakeholders, establishing a community model, and site-level planning, and selecting an equipment provider before moving on to installation of charging stations and signage.
The complete plan is available online at ocgov.net/oneida/sites/default/files/planning/EV_ChargingStationPlan_0.pdf.