Joint Utilities of New York’s EV Make-Ready Program Announces Incentive Increases For 2024 EV Charging Projects

With the Make-Ready Programs, the Joint Utilities of New York has allocated more than $885 million to support Make-Ready Programs, and $372.5 million to support Disadvantaged Communities. Through the Make-Ready Programs, entities seeking to install or participate in the installation of Level 2 (“L2”) and/or Direct Current Fast Charging (“DCFC”) chargers can earn incentives that will offset a large portion of, or in some cases, 100% of the infrastructure costs associated with preparing a site for EV charger installation.

In addition, NYSERDA has set aside $12 million to support the installation of EV chargers through its Charge-Ready Program NY 2.0. This program focuses on the hardware cost of deploying Level 2 EV charging (i.e. purchasing the EV charger itself). Combined, these incentive programs are a big win for the EV charging landscape, pushing us toward a cleaner environment and making EV charging more accessible.

If you are contemplating installing EV chargers and keen to learn how much you could be eligible for, do not waste any time and contact us, as these programs usually fill up quickly. SWTCH is approved to provide services under the Joint Utilities installation programs.

EV Make-Ready Program – Available Incentives & Eligibility

The EV Make-Ready Program covers infrastructure expenses for bringing electricity to parking spaces. Incentive levels range from up to 50% to 100% of all costs associated with the infrastructure and installation of new EV Charging stations dependent upon project criteria. 

Projects in disadvantaged community areas can receive up to 100% of eligible make-ready costs. Requirements may vary across the different utilities. More information about Disadvantaged Communities in New York can be found on NYSERDA’s website. 

More information about Joint Utilities of New York can be found on their website. 

Stackable Incentives – NYSERDA’s Charge-Ready Program NY 2.0

NYSERDA has set aside $12 million to support the installation of EV chargers. The Charge-Ready Program NY 2.0 focuses on the hardware cost of deploying Level 2 EV charging (i.e. purchasing the EV charger itself). The program offers phenomenal incentives to multi-unit dwellings, public and workplace locations. Stackable with incentives from the local utilities, some projects will see rebates at, or close to, 100% of the total project costs, rendering the installation of EV chargers virtually free. 

Charge-Ready Program NY 2.0 – What Funding Is Included?

Charge Ready NY 2.0 focuses on the hardware cost of deploying Level 2 EV charging, i.e., purchasing the EV charger itself.

• Multi-Unit Dwellings (MUD) and workplaces can receive $2,000 for each Level 2 charger they install (an extra $500 per plug is available in disadvantaged communities). 
• Public facilities can receive $4,000 for chargers in disadvantaged communities. 

To note, the $2,000 allocated covers 100% of the cost of our program-sanctioned SWTCH charger, the Zerova AX48.

On top of that, the program provides bonus incentives to equipment owners at workplace and MUD locations who take additional actions to encourage EV adoption within their own fleets or among their employees/residents. Based on the size of your workplace or MUD, you may qualify for a range of additional incentives with varying amounts. Details on how to apply for the bonus incentives can be found under paragraph 8 of the Program Manual.

Who is eligible?

Eligibility extends to public, private and non-profit entities in New York State, so if you own multi-unit residential buildings or workplace properties, you can likely participate in the program. MUD locations need to have ten or more connected housing units, while workplaces need a minimum of twenty employees. The details by location type are as follows:

Public Facilities: 

• Must be located within a disadvantaged community
• EV parking rates at municipal properties cannot exceed the municipality’s on-street parking rate
• At least twenty parking spaces that are open to the general public at least twelve hours per day, for at least five days per week
• For example, parking lots, on-street parking, government buildings, public libraries, parks, recreation centers

Workplace: 

• At least twenty parking spaces at the location which primarily serve (>50%) employees 
• Minimum of twenty employees regularly working at the site
• Examples include office buildings, universities, schools, hospitals

Multi-unit dwelling: 

• Building has at least twenty parking spaces
• Ten or more connected housing units
• Examples are apartment buildings, condominiums, co-ops, motels and hotels

Installation Requirements

The rebates are only available for the installation of approved equipment. The deployed charging stations must be networked or capable of connecting to a network in order to collect data and process payments. The charging hardware has to remain installed for at least five years, and NYSERDA has to be granted access to the charging data. 

Incentives are limited to a maximum of 40 chargers per property (including existing chargers) and cannot exceed 25% of the total parking spaces. Applications are open on a first-come, first-served basis until December 31, 2025, or until the funding runs out. You can find the detailed provisions in the Program Manual.

As SWTCH is already an approved EV charging network and equipment provider for this program, we can ensure your EV charging project is fully eligible for the new NYSERDA program as well as the local utility programs through the Joint Utilities of New York program (details below), helping your project maximize the available funding. Get in touch if ready to chat. 

Utility Resources

You can review your local utilities program guidelines and funding availability with help of the table below. SWTCH experts are also happy to help advise as to what is available for you.

Who is SWTCH?

We are pioneers in developing EV charging solutions for multi-residential and commercial properties across North America. Leveraging state-of-the-art technology allows us to help building owners and operators deploy optimized multi-vehicle charging systems.

SWTCH’s solution utilizes the building’s existing grid infrastructure to deploy a cost-effective charging system that works for your EV drivers today and smoothly scales to support the charging demand in the future. To learn more about SWTCH, check out our multifamily, workplace, and retail/public EV Charging solutions.

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