First Public Access Electric Car Charging Station in Upstate New York Comes to Downtown Albany

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Albany Mayor Gerald Jennings looks on as John Doran of PlugIn Stations Online explains technical aspects of the charging station

ALBANY, NY (08/17/2011)(readMedia)-- Downtown Albany Holiday Inn Express unveiled the first public access electric car charging station in upstate New York during a media event on Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at Noon at 300 Broadway. Installed by PlugIn Stations Online, the charging station is a Leviton dual level 1 / level 2 system. Level 2 is capable of charging vehicles in two to four hours, while level 1 is comparable to a residential system taking eight to ten hours to charge. The station accommodates up to two vehicles at a time and can be reserved for a small fee by the public. Collected fees are anticipated to be donated to a non-profit sustainable organization.

"Hosting an electric car charging station at our facility allows us to expand our offerings to clientele who depend on this type of service," said Dee Earle, General Manager at the Holiday Inn Express, "We believe that the adoption of an electric car is based on having a supporting infrastructure in place. As a community partner and in interest of moving upstate towards this type of technology, we are proud to be able to offer our station to the general public as well as our guests."

John Doran of PlugIn Stations Online stated that, "While charging stations are most prevalent on the East coast in Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut, New York is quickly becoming part of the equation. From Albany, the next closest public access charging station is located in Rhinebeck, NY."

The installation comes on the heels of Mayor Jennings' April announcement to install 15 charging stations throughout the city of Albany.

"We are thrilled to have the first Upstate New York charging station in Downtown," stated Georgette Steffens, Executive Director at Downtown Albany Business Improvement District (BID), "According to a report by the Brookings Institute, 6.8 percent of Capital Region jobs are devoted to producing environmental benefits. No metropolitan area in the country has a greater percentage of workers employed by the so-called green economy. This new station, and the 15 others to come, will attract like minded companies, employees, tourists, and new residents to our Capital City."

During the January 2011 State of the Union address, President Barrack Obama shared his goal of making the United States the first country in the world to put one million advanced technology vehicles on the road by 2015

Doran added that, "the electric car charging industry alone is estimated to be a $5.4 billion industry by 2016."

Incorporated in 1996, Downtown Albany Business Improvement District (BID) is a private, not-for profit 501(c) (3) organization working to restore, promote and maintain the character and vitality of downtown Albany and improve the quality of life and overall image of downtown for those who work in, live in and visit New York's Capital City. For information about the Downtown Albany BID visit downtownalbany.org or call (518) 465-2143