<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1OnyAO_0vjImU7X00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1OnyAO_0vjImU7X00" width="1280" height="720" >(WNY News Now) – Albany – New York Governor Kathy Hochul has unveiled a $5.5 million municipal grant initiative aimed at expanding the state’s zero-emission vehicle infrastructure, aligning with New York’s aggressive climate goals.Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $5.5 million available in grants for municipalities to support the installation of electric vehicle chargers, including hydrogen fuel filling station components and Level 2 and direct current fast chargers, as part of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Municipal Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Grants program. These projects support New York’s ongoing efforts to advance clean transportation and help the State achieve the greenhouse gas emission reduction requirements of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.“New York is committed to advancing and energizing the transition to a cleaner, healthier, and more efficient transportation future,” Governor Hochul said. “Our sustained investments in electric vehicle infrastructure across the State will help encourage more drivers to make the switch to EVs, promote greener alternatives for transportation, and combat climate change.”The 2024 round of the Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Municipal Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Infrastructure program opened on Sept. 25 with $5.5 million available. Additional information can be found in the request for applications (RFA) document here. The deadline for applications is 4 p.m. on Feb. 28, 2025.The program includes a variable local match requirement based on the municipality’s median household income (MHI) and whether the ZEV infrastructure is located in a disadvantaged community, based on the disadvantaged communities criteria developed by the Climate Justice Working Group.Eligible expenses incurred between Oct. 1, 2023, and Sept. 20, 2026, are eligible for reimbursement.Applications are available through the Consolidated Funding Application under the title “2024 Municipal ZEV Infrastructure Grants.”To be eligible for an award, applicants must be registered in the NYS Statewide Financial System Grant Management System (SFS GM). Information regarding registration in SFS GM can be found on the Grants Management website. More information about the DEC Municipal ZEV Infrastructure Grant program, as well as the DEC Municipal ZEV Rebate program, is available on DEC’s website. For questions about the Municipal ZEV program, email ZEVrebate@dec.ny.gov or call DEC’s Office of Climate Change at 518-402-8448.New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said, “With Governor Hochul’s sustained commitment to ensuring a cleaner, greener future, New York continues to be a leader advancing the State’s transition to clean transportation to help achieve our climate targets. The Municipal ZEV Infrastructure Grant program makes it even easier, more accessible, and more affordable to make the switch to greener vehicles and is expanding New York’s EV charging station network. DEC looks forward to continuing to support municipalities statewide that are taking climate action, investing in electric transportation, and helping facilitate the clean energy economy of the future.”State Senator Peter Harckham said, “Our transportation sector is a major source of climate and air pollution in New York. The DEC’s Municipal Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure grants program will accelerate the transition to an emissions free future, where we all can breathe easier. This is a good example of how the state and local governments, working together, can create a cleaner, greener New York.”Assemblymember Deborah Glick said, “Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by shifting to vehicles that do not rely on fossil fuels is essential for New York to achieve our climate goals. One major obstacle to the public’s adoption of electric vehicles is the lack of publicly available charging stations. Making it easier for municipalities to step up and expand this critical piece of the green infrastructure puzzle is welcome news. Thank you to Governor Hochul for this important $5.5 million investment in NYDEC’s Municipal Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Grants program to help expand this green infrastructure throughout New York, helping us to further achieve our climate goals.”New York State’s Nation-Leading Climate PlanNew York State’s climate agenda calls for an orderly and just transition that creates family-sustaining jobs, continues to foster a green economy across all sectors and ensures that a minimum of 35 percent, with a goal of 40 percent, of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities. Guided by some of the nation’s most aggressive climate and clean energy initiatives, New York is advancing a suite of efforts – including the New York Cap-and-Invest program (NYCI) and other complementary policies – to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 and 85 percent by 2050 from 1990 levels. New York is also on a path toward a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and economy-wide carbon neutrality by mid-century. A cornerstone of this transition is New York’s unprecedented clean energy investments, including more than $28 billion in 61 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the State, $6.8 billion to reduce building emissions, $3.3 billion to scale up solar, nearly $3 billion for clean transportation initiatives and over $2 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. These and other investments are supporting more than 170,000 jobs in New York’s clean energy sector as of 2022 and over 3,000 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, New York also adopted zero-emission vehicle regulations, including requiring all new passenger cars and light-duty trucks sold in the State be zero emission by 2035. Partnerships are continuing to advance New York’s climate action with more than 420 registered and more than 150 certified Climate Smart Communities, over 500 Clean Energy Communities, and the State’s largest community air monitoring initiative in 10 disadvantaged communities across the State to help target air pollution and combat climate change. </div></body>

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Governor Hochul Announces $5.5 Million Grant Boost for Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure During Climate Week

(WNY News Now) – Albany – New York Governor Kathy Hochul has unveiled a $5.5 million municipal grant initiative aimed at expanding the state’s zero-emission vehicle infrastructure, aligning with New York’s aggressive climate goals. Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $5.5 million available in grants for municipalities...