Albany – Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D-88) is pleased to announce that A.288/S.3745, legislation she authored, was passed by the New York State Assembly on Tuesday.

This bill would require utilities to file a tariff with the Public Service Commission to allow a customer to purchase electricity solely for the purpose of recharging an electric vehicle. This would enable either a time-of-day or off-peak rate to be offered to customers, encouraging them to charge their vehicles at times that are most beneficial for the grid.

New York has set an ambitious, but much needed target to reduce greenhouse gases in the coming decade through a drastic increase in the amount of renewables. While the 50-percent renewables by 2030 goal is crucial, it is important to ensure that it is complementary towards the nascent electric vehicle industry. This bill is intended to encourage grid-responsible charging of electric cars by allowing New York's combination electric and gas corporations to develop pricing structures that would incentivize charging during periods when a significant portion of renewable energy is dispatched into the grid. This will help ensure that electric vehicle usage will grow in a manner consistent with New York's environmental and energy goals.

“People purchase electric vehicles to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but they may be inadvertently charging their vehicles at peak times when coal and fossil fuel plants are running to meet the demand,” Paulin said. “By offering a separate charging tariff, with lower rates for off-peak times when renewables like wind are abundant, customers can significantly decrease their carbon footprint while encouraging renewable energy production.

Joseph Griffo (R-47) sponsored the bill in the Senate.