WASHINGTON - Ten northeast states and the District of Columbia have formed the Northeast Electric Vehicle Network. The network will promote clean vehicles and fuels and facilitate planning for and the deployment of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and related infrastructure throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states, according to the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI).

As part of an ongoing collaboration through the TCI, the group will also work to attract additional public and private investment in infrastructure for clean vehicles.

Participants in the Northeast Electric Vehicle Network are Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

The network's efforts to accelerate the deployment of electric vehicles throughout the Northeast will be supported, in part, by a nearly $1 million Electric Vehicle Readiness Grant awarded to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) on behalf of TCI.  This grant will fund the development of guidelines for the siting, permitting, and installation of EV charging stations, which is a critical next step in the development of the Network.

Next steps for the initiative include outreach to interested parties in the public and private sectors; collaboration with the private sector, utilities, and local governments on a blueprint for EV deployment; and definition of a set of consistent infrastructure standards, according to TCI.