Local municipalities, governments and fleet owners attended Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation’s second annual Electric Vehicle Summit, held at the utility’s offices in the Town of Ulster on Dec. 5, 2019.

The summit provided attendees with an overview of electric transportation and options, including the various types of electric vehicles available, financial incentives and programs to promote adoption. Also covered were New York state goals for electric vehicles and carbon reduction, charging options and services and incentives offered by Central Hudson for the installation of charging stations. A presentation on Central Hudson’s white paper, “Powering the Path to a Cleaner Future” described the initiatives the utility is taking and recommends to promote carbon reduction in a cost-effective manner, including electrification of transportation.

“Cars, trucks and other forms of transportation produce 33 percent of total emissions in New York, the highest sector in in the state,” said Anthony Campagiorni, Vice President of Customer Services and Regulatory Affairs. “If we are to meet our clean energy goals, we must address transportation. Electric vehicles not only lower emissions as compared to their gasoline and diesel fuel counterparts, they are also less costly to operates and maintain. The future of transportation is electric, and Central Hudson is preparing for changes in the way we will power our cars, trucks and public transit.”

Presentations were provided by Central Hudson, the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority, the New York Power Authority, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Ulster County, Sustainable Hudson Valley and vehicle and electric charging manufacturers.

“This summit is great because we are learning from each other about best practices and the new technology that’s coming to market,” said Amanda LaValle, Coordinator with Ulster County Department of the Environment. “This is all discussed within the framework of how we are going to deploy this technology and Central Hudson is a great partner for that.”

“This is the right gathering of stakeholders who are knowledgeable and want to dive into what’s going on,” said Melissa Everett, Executive Director of Sustainable Hudson Valley. “Central Hudson continues to develop useful strategies and seek feedback in fine-tuning them.”