New York Makes $35 Million Available for Public Sector EV Charging

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New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that $35 million is now available through the state’s new Charge Ready NY — Large Public Sector Project program to help public entities install and operate Level 2 electric vehicle chargers. The goal: lower the cost of getting chargers in the ground, expand public charging access, and cut air pollution in communities across New York.

What the Program Covers

Administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the competitive program is open to:

• New York State agencies and authorities
• Local governments
• State and city university systems

Funding supports Level 2 charging stations installed on publicly owned land for use by the general public. Selected projects will receive between $1 million and $15 million per award and can cover one or more sites. Proposers may request up to 80% of eligible, documented purchase and installation costs for electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE).

To qualify, projects must use equipment and network service providers already approved by NYSERDA through RFQL 5312: the Charge Ready NY 2.0 Equipment and Network Qualification Process.

Key dates:

• September 15, 2026, 3:00 p.m. ET — NYSERDA webinar covering solicitation details, project requirements and the application process
• October 20, 2026, 3:00 p.m. ET — Proposals due

Full eligibility rules and evaluation criteria are available on the solicitation summary page.

Building on an Already-Growing Network

This funding adds to a charging network that’s already scaling quickly. As of July 2026, New York has more than 21,000 Level 2 and DC fast charging ports installed statewide, alongside more than 331,000 electric vehicles on the road in NY alone – that does not even count the EV drivers that travel through the Empire State. NYSERDA’s existing Charge Ready NY 2.0 program continues to support Level 2 charger installations at multifamily buildings, hotels and workplaces, and received an additional $15 million in February 2026 for per-plug incentives of $3,000–$4,000, available first-come, first-served.

The Large Public Sector Project program is funded through Governor Hochul’s $2 billion Sustainable Future Program, described by the state as its largest climate investment to date, alongside other initiatives such as the Drive Clean Rebate Program, EV Make Ready, EVolve NY, the New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program and the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program.

Lynkwell’s Role in New York’s Public Charging Buildout

Lynkwell designs and builds Level 2 EV charging hardware and developed the ViaLynk network and software solutions — out of our headquarters in Schenectady, NY. That means the equipment and software behind our chargers are engineered in the same state driving this new round of funding.

We’ve already worked directly with NYSERDA’s Charge Ready incentive structure on public sector projects. In Schenectady County alone, Lynkwell helped deploy 56 Level 2 charging ports across municipal sites — including libraries and other public facilities — supporting workplace charging, fleet charging, and community and visitor parking. That project combined $318,000 in Make-Ready funding with a $70,000 NYSERDA Charge Ready incentive, reflecting the kind of public-private collaboration this new $35 million program is designed to support at a larger scale.

Today, the ViaLynk network powers thousands of EV charging stations nationwide, including over 3,400 publicly accessible L2 stations currently online in New York State, according to data from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center. That New York footprint gives public sector applicants a network partner with direct, local experience navigating NYSERDA’s programs, equipment qualification process and documentation requirements.

For Public Entities Considering an Application

Agencies, municipalities and university systems evaluating whether to apply for the Large Public Sector Project program should factor in:

• Confirming their preferred charging equipment and network are on NYSERDA’s current approved list before budgeting a project
• Building in time before the October 20 deadline to document eligible costs, since funding covers up to 80% of purchase and installation costs
• Attending the September 15 webinar for the latest guidance directly from NYSERDA on requirements and the application process

Lynkwell works with public sector partners across New York on planning, procurement documentation and installation for Charge Ready-eligible projects. For entities that want to simplify sourcing, Lynkwell is also available through two existing cooperative and state purchasing vehicles that satisfy competitive bidding requirements:

• New York State OGS Contract PC70332 — statewide procurement contract for public, private and fleet EV charging hardware, software and installation
• Sourcewell Contract 042221-LIV — cooperative purchasing contract covering hardware, software and installation, available to qualifying public entities nationwide

Using either of these pre-vetted contract vehicles can shorten procurement timelines by consolidating sourcing of equipment, software and installation with a single, already-qualified vendor. If your agency or municipality is evaluating a proposal for this round of funding, reach out to our team to talk through site selection, equipment options, and how these contracts fit alongside the Large Public Sector Project application.

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Sources: NYSERDA press release, August 14, 2026; U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center, ViaLynk network station data as of August 17, 2026.