LAKE KATRINE – As the decade comes to a close within a month, the new decade is expected to be flush with electrical vehicles from many manufacturers.
Thursday, Central Hudson conducted its second annual Electric Vehicle Summit to get ready for the future. “This summit is an opportunity many of our elected officials and some of our larger customers to learn more about the benefits of electric vehicles, and some of the incentives that are now available in New York State,” said John Maserjian, director of media relations for Central Hudson.“Electric vehicles emit 70 percent less emissions than their gasoline counterparts when you consider the source of electric generation. “We see electric vehicles as a great alternative to gasoline-powered vehicles and diesel-powered vehicles and only growing in the future as we try to curb CO2 emissions and greenhouse gas emissions and has the added benefit of lower operating costs than their gasoline counterparts,” he said.
And to help with the future usage of electric vehicles Central Hudson is making infrastructure upgrades to accommodate them with new poles, new wires, and transformers.
“We think the electrical system will be more than capable of handling this increase in electricity use. But we are keeping an eye on it, so we can keep up with demand,” said Maserjian.
The utility is expected to roll out more electrical vehicle programs in the future to help commercial customers adapt to these changes, he said.
“We do see fleets as a prime application for electric vehicle use,” he said.
Central Hudson already offers low-cost and discounted charging stations for home use and is working with New York State to accommodate the incentives offered for electric vehicle use.
“We’re working closely with state agencies to roll out additional incentives for electrical vehicle users,” he said.
