FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

February 24, 2022

MEDIA CONTACT: 

e: jeanette.lenoir@mail.house.gov

c: 202.480.5737

Washington, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15) sent a letter to New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Commissioner, Marie Therese Dominguez, urging her agency to consider the needs of underserved and disadvantaged communities in the development and implementation of the first-of-its-kind EV Infrastructure Deployment Plan for New York State.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed by Congress at the end of 2021, created a National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program to provide states with the necessary funding to build a network of electric vehicle charging stations along designated Alternative Fuel Corridors and other publicly accessible locations. Under the program, New York State is slated to receive nearly $26 million within its first year. With New York’s transportation sector accounting for a total of 47% of statewide energy-related CO2 emissions, this funding has the potential to meaningfully and equitably transform the state’s approach to tackling climate change. 

In their letter to NYSDOT, the Members of Congress write, “Electrifying our transportation system, combined with a continued shift to renewable energy generation within the power sector, will set us on the path towards a clean energy economy. This will also create thousands of green jobs throughout New York State and significantly reduce local air pollution that has overburdened environmental justice communities and contributed to disproportionately high rates of asthma and other serious health conditions within low-income communities and communities of color.”

They added, “However, unless we are intentional in our planning, the same communities who have the most to gain from a clean transportation sector will be among the last to experience its benefits. We have witnessed this time and time again with the arrival of new clean technologies, which is why equity must be prioritized from the onset in our state’s deployment of EV charging infrastructure. Charging must not only be built out along highways for the purpose of long-distance travel, but also throughout underserved communities who lack access to private parking spaces and the ability to install at-home chargers. If we do not address this issue now, the severe lack of publicly accessible charging stations in our districts will pose a major barrier to equitable EV adoption and use for personal vehicles, ride-share services and commercial fleets.” 

In addition to Reps. Clarke and Torres, the letter was signed by 12 other Members of the New York State Congressional Delegation, including Reps. Adriano Espaillat, Carolyn B. Maloney, Hakeem Jeffries, Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D., Mondaire Jones, Thomas R. Suozzi, Grace Meng, Jerrold Nadler, Nydia M. Velazquez, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Gregory W. Meeks, and Joseph D. Morelle. 

“The communities facing the greatest burdens from the climate crisis and environmental pollution must be prioritized and fully incorporated in our solutions to address these immense challenges, and this is particularly true as we work to build out a robust and modernized transportation sector that is powered by clean, renewable energy. As our New York State Department of Transportation moves ahead in leading this change, it is imperative they consider the needs of underserved and disadvantaged communities throughout the deployment of our state’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and ensure they are provided the same opportunities for greener, more sustainable modes of transportation that these communities have been historically denied,” said Congresswoman Clarke. 

“As America begins to shift toward greener, cleaner energy technology, it is abundantly clear that communities of color must be prioritized to create an accessible and equitable clean vehicle economy. Electric charging infrastructure is a key step in reaching our climate goals, but it cannot be done without the inclusion of historically underserved communities. We urge NYSDOT to find creative ways to deploy EV charging technology so that all New Yorkers can benefit from the clean vehicle revolution,” said Congressman Torres. 

The full text of the letter can be found below, and a PDF of the signed letter can be accessed by clicking HERE.

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February 23, 2022

Hon. Marie Therese Dominguez, Esq.
Commissioner of Transportation
New York State Department of Transportation
50 Wolf Road
Albany, NY 12232

Dear Commissioner Dominguez:

On behalf of our constituents throughout New York State, we write urging you to consider the
needs of our communities as you develop the state’s EV Infrastructure Deployment Plan. The
rapid deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure is vital to achieving our state’s
climate goals, but this process must unfold equitably so that all our communities can benefit
from a clean transportation future.

The recently enacted Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act—also known as the Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law—created a first-of-its-kind National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI)
Formula Program to provide funding to states for the purpose of building out a nationwide
network of electric vehicle charging stations along designated Alternative Fuel Corridors and
other publicly accessible locations. In the first year of funding under this new program, New
York State is set to receive nearly $26 million. As part of its initial implementation, the United
States Department of Transportation (USDOT) has requested each state submit an EV
Infrastructure Deployment Plan before they can access these funds.

The funding provided by the NEVI Formula Program will be crucial to ensuring that our state
meet its greenhouse gas and pollution reduction mandates codified in the historic Climate
Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). The transportation sector is responsible for
the single largest share of climate-warming emissions in New York State, accounting for a total
of 47% of statewide energy-related CO2 emissions. New York State also has more transportation
sector diesel emissions than any other state, exposing millions of New Yorkers to carcinogenic
exhaust and other harmful pollutants. And unlike other sectors such as electricity generation,
emissions from transportation are continuing to rise. In addition, many of the burdens from our
dirty transportation system have been historically and disproportionately borne by disadvantaged
communities of color.

Electrifying our transportation system, combined with a continued shift to renewable energy
generation within the power sector, will set us on the path towards a clean energy economy. This
will also create thousands of green jobs throughout New York State and significantly reduce
local air pollution that has overburdened environmental justice communities and contributed to
disproportionately high rates of asthma and other serious health conditions within low-income
communities and communities of color.

However, unless we are intentional in our planning, the same communities who have the most to
gain from a clean transportation sector will be among the last to experience its benefits. We have
witnessed this time and time again with the arrival of new clean technologies, which is why
equity must be prioritized from the onset in our state’s deployment of EV charging
infrastructure. Charging must not only be built out along highways for the purpose of long-distance travel, but also throughout underserved communities who lack access to private parking
spaces and the ability to install at-home chargers. If we do not address this issue now, the severe
lack of publicly accessible charging stations in our districts will pose a major barrier to equitable
EV adoption and use for personal vehicles, ride-share services and commercial fleets.

We understand that current USDOT guidance limits the initial program funding to use around
designated Alternative Fuel Corridors, however we urge you to work creatively and purposefully
within those confines as you develop an EV Infrastructure Deployment Plan to ensure that our
state’s deployment of EV charging technology does not perpetuate the charging divide that
hampers our constituents’ ability to join in the clean transportation revolution.
Thank you for your consideration of our request.

Sincerely,

Yvette D. Clarke, Member of Congress

Ritchie Torres, Member of Congress

Adriano Espaillat, Member of Congress

Carolyn B. Maloney, Member of Congress

Hakeem Jeffries, Member of Congress

Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D., Member of Congress

Mondaire Jones, Member of Congress

Thomas R. Suozzi, Member of Congress

Grace Meng, Member of Congress

Jerrold Nadler, Member of Congress

Nydia M. Velazquez, Member of Congress

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Member of Congress

Gregory W. Meeks, Member of Congress

Joseph D. Morelle, Member of Congress