Employee Zero Emissions Vehicle Charging Program

The Office of General Services (OGS), in cooperation with the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the New York Power Authority (NYPA), is pleased to announce the Employee Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) Charging Program in targeted OGS Parking facilities throughout Downtown Albany and the Harriman State Office Campus.

In addition to serving the needs of our current ZEV parking permit holders, this program will provide valuable data to inform OGS about program effectiveness and expansion of the program going forward.

Level 2 charging stations are available to ZEV owners who are valid OGS parking permit holders in the parking lot or garage at which the stations are installed. 

What's the cost? 

After evaluating the various pricing methods, OGS has opted to use per kilowatt-hour (kWh) pricing. The kWh pricing method is usage-based. EV drivers pay fees based on the electricity they use during the charging session, rather than the amount of time that the car is plugged into the station. The current rate for Level 2 charging is set at $0.15 per kWh.

As an example:

At $0.15 per kilowatt-hour, charging an all-electric vehicle (assuming a fully depleted 22 kWh battery) will cost about $3.30 to reach a full charge.

Please note: a hold for $25 will be placed on the credit card on file in your EV Connect account when you start a session. You will only be charged for the amount shown in the EV Connect app at the conclusion of the session.

What are the OGS ZEV Program Protocols? 

ZEV charging stations in all OGS parking facilities will be available on a first-come/first-served basis to valid permit holders in a specific location. There is no provision for reserving a ZEV space or being assigned a designated space to charge your vehicle.

• Use of On-Site Charging Stations:
  • ZEV permit holders may charge in any available ZEV parking space (spaces will be marked with signage).
  • The ZEV charging spaces are for vehicle charging. They are not reserved simply for ZEV vehicle parking.
  • ZEV permit holders are asked to vacate the ZEV charging spots when charging is completed. The EV Connect mobile app will alert you when your vehicle is fully charged.
  • Please be considerate of your fellow ZEV drivers and only utilize the spaces when charging.
• On-Site staffing:
  • OGS Parking staff on-site will direct ZEV permit holders to charging station locations in the facility.
  • On-site staff cannot, and will not, unplug patron vehicles from charging stations or move vehicles.
  • Charging station equipment problems or malfunctions can be reported to staff on site.

Idle Fee

OGS will be updating its electric vehicle (EV) charging policies as of March 1, 2024 to ensure maximum availability of EV chargers for as many drivers as possible.

In light of the Executive Order 22 mandate to convert 100% of light-duty fleet to zero emission vehicles, please be aware that idling fees will be assessed for employees’ personally owned EVs at OGS charging stations that remain plugged in after reaching a full charge. After a grace period of 15 minutes, vehicles left plugged into charging stations beyond their full charge will be charged $1.00 per hour idle. The EV Connect mobile app will alert you when your vehicle is fully charged. Please refer to the following chart:

Note: NYS Fleet vehicles will not incur fees.

In addition, to make these chargers available in off-hours for fleet vehicles, personally owned EVs will not be allowed in these spaces between 4pm-6am.

In the Program, Level 2 charging stations are available to ZEV owners who are valid parking permit holders in targeted parking areas. You can participate with just two steps: 

Step 1: Registration

OGS has partnered with EV Connect, a leading provider of EV charging solutions since 2009, to provide 24/7 driver support and management of our charging stations. To get started, download the free EV Connect mobile app (available in the Apple App and Google Play Store) and register for an account.  

You may also register on the EV Connect website to create your personal account. 

Step 2: Complete the ZEV Program User Form

Once you have created your EV Connect account, complete the Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) Program User Form – CS-788 and return to OGS parking Management via email at [email protected].

It is important to provide the email address on the form that you used to create your EV Connect account.  

BEAM EV ARC Chargers are solar powered chargers available for use under a pilot program at the Duryea State Office Building and the Harriman Campus. These are off-grid EV chargers that use solar powered battery storage to allow for 24/7 use regardless of weather conditions, power outages, or grid failures. 

The BEAM chargers are available to employees for use under the same policies as any other OGS-owned charger in this program. To charge, simply park in a spot, plug in your EV, and activate the charger using your key fob or EV Connect mobile app. BEAM chargers operate at close to a level 2 charger with 20-25 miles of range per hour equally distributed among all vehicles plugged in at once (up to 2 vehicles).

More information on these units can be found at the Beam website.