On July 8, 2025, Governor Hochul announced $3 million in awards from the Vehicle Grid Integration Program, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The Vehicle Grid Integration Program funds scalable projects that advance electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure through product development, technology demonstrations, or new business models. Technologies include bi-directional charging, energy storage, on-site energy generation, and EV managed charging. As noted in the Vehicle Grid Integration Program solicitation the capacity of the existing power transmission and distribution network to accommodate charging patterns of light-, medium-, and heavy-duty EVs is limited. These awards will help address these challenges by enhancing grid flexibility, shifting charging to better align with electricity supply, and lowering charging costs for EV drivers.
The awarded projects include the following:
- Charging Platform Lamppost Conduit Interconnection: Voltpost, a lamppost EV charging platform, was awarded $775,000 to install lamppost charging in the New York City metropolitan area, Capital Region, and Hudson Valley, as well as install ten Level 2 charging stations across the state.
- Demonstrating Statewide Implementation of Flexible Interconnections for Fleets: The Mobility House, a company specializing in smart charging and vehicle to grid energy solutions, was awarded $867,000 to support the development of flexible interconnections at an electric school bus charging depot in Staten Island. A second pilot site, yet to be determined, will test an approach to fast charger deployment that separates charger installation from traditional utility grid upgrade timelines.
- Distribution-Optimized EV Managed Charging to Enhance Grid Flexibility: Weave Grid, Inc., which specializes in EV charging software solutions, was awarded $1 million to enhance grid flexibility in the Orange and Rockland Utilities service area. This project will use software and grid topology data to optimize the timing of managed EV charging, which will help coordinate charging schedules and balance electricity demand.
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “Investing in vehicle to grid integration is a game changer for utilities and consumers when it comes to balancing demand on the electric grid and these awarded companies have put forward innovative solutions to improve the way we achieve that balance. Advancing technologies that can shift when electric vehicle charging happens will open the door for future cost reductions, more renewable energy resources like wind and solar, increased grid flexibility and fewer infrastructure upgrades.”
NYSERDA also announced $4 million in new funding via their EV Managed Charging Program to support development and demonstration projects for data collection and transmission technologies that can help address challenges faced by utilities when integrating EVs with the electrical grid. Proposals must include behind-the-meter EV integrated solutions, including bi-directional data transfer and utility-managed charging to help reduce grid demand. Proposals are due on by 3:00pm ET on September 16, 2025, and more information can be found here.