National Grid EV Make-Ready program providing funding for 90% of project costs

Chautauqua Institution, through National Grid’s EV Make-Ready Program, installed three Electric Vehicle charging stations in two parking lots, providing six new plugs for EV drivers who may need a charge. The north parking lot includes two stations with four plugs, including two with standard plugs and two with Tesla chargers. The south parking lot includes two ChargePoint plugs.

The installation was completed in advance of the second annual Retool ’23 Conference. To be held on July 26 at the Institution, the conference focuses on emerging economic development opportunities in the climate technology/clean tech sector and the challenges of recruiting workers to fill positions being created by new and expanding regional manufacturers. Through its Make-Ready program, National Grid provided incentives that covered 90 percent of the installation and nearly 60 percent of total project costs. Additionally, the Institution gratefully accepted a generous contribution from Tesla and Gigafactory NY that encompassed all the necessary hardware components to construct six charging stations. The advanced technology provided by Tesla will allow the Institution to build charging stations for both Tesla and non-Tesla EVs. This donation underscores their commitment to fostering the widespread adoption of EVs across New York.

“Through our Climate Change Initiative, Chautauqua Institution is striving to become a model of sustainability for our region and the nation, but we can’t do this important work alone,” said Mark Wenzler, Peter Nosler Director of the Chautauqua Climate Change Initiative. “Partners like National Grid and Tesla are critical in our efforts to ‘green’ our operations.”

“While the Chautauqua Institution’s new charging stations are among the first public destination installations in Chautauqua County, they also represent the latest success story about how our EV Make-Ready program provides incentives for customers trailblazing a muchneeded amenity for residents, tourists, and the community at large,” said Whitney Skeans, National Grid’s Lead Program Manager – Electric Vehicles, New York. “The timing of these installations and career opportunities within the clean transportation industry also align perfectly with the theme for this year’s conference and panel discussion, that’s entitled ’Greening our workforce, our community, our economy.”

National Grid is one of several sponsors of the Retool ’23 Conference where Chautauqua County and all of Western New York will be touted as ideal places for clean tech development, climate tech manufacturing, and numerous supply chain opportunities. Attendees will hear from guest speakers who will share their innovative recruitment success stories and dynamic ways to train new workers in the emerging green economy.

“We are excited to have sponsors like National Grid support our Retool ’23 Conference, said Ellen Ditonto, Retool ’23 Conference team lead and the Business Development Coordinator for the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities. “National Grid understands the importance of our Retool WNY initiative and the opportunities we have to improve economic development opportunities in our region as the climate tech/clean tech sector expands.

“National Grid’s partnership with Chautauqua Institution on the installation of EV charging units is indicative of the understanding that both organizations have about the evolution of vehicles and the requirement to provide adequate infrastructure for EV owners in communities across Western New York,” added Ditonto. “In addition, National Grid is helping to support the critical conversation about workforce development in this new era by providing sponsorship dollars for our Retool ’23 panel discussion.”

National Grid’s Upstate New York EV Make-Ready Program can help any business customer fund up to 100 percent of costs related to installing electricity infrastructure for approved projects. Initiatives such as installing the new stations at Chautauqua Institution demonstrate how National Grid collaborates with customers toward a shared, clean energy transition, and are central to the company’s Project C initiative, which was created to inspire change and create a more equitable future for our customers and our communities.

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About Chautauqua Institution
Chautauqua Institution is a not-for-profit, 750-acre community on Chautauqua Lake in southwestern New York State, where approximately 7,500 persons are in residence on any day during a nine-week season, and a total of more than 100,000 attend scheduled public events and even more engage online via the streaming channel CHQ Assembly. Chautauqua is dedicated to the exploration of the best in human values and the enrichment of life through a program that explores the important religious, social and political issues of our times; stimulates provocative, thoughtful involvement of individuals and families in creative response to such issues; and promotes excellence and creativity in the appreciation, performance and teaching of the arts. The Institution launched its 150th Summer Assembly June 24, 2023, and will celebrate its Sesquicentennial in 2024.

About National Grid
National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York and Massachusetts. National Grid is transforming our electricity and natural gas networks with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions to meet the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As part of our commitment to a clean energy future, National Grid is a Principal Partner for COP26, the UN’s November 2021 global climate summit.

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