A new asset for those who drive electric vehicles was introduced this week by County Executive Jen Metzger.

At a press conference Tuesday, Metzger today unveiled the county's EV ARC vehicle charging station. Unlike regular EV chargers, which are hooked up to the power grid, the ARC charges work entirely off the grid, powered by solar and equipped with battery storage. It can be used in remote areas with limited grid access, as well as during power outages, helping bolster resilience to the impacts of climate change.

“Ulster County is taking a solutions-oriented approach to addressing climate change, leading by example,” Metzger said. “The county’s new ARC electric-vehicle charger combines solar power and battery storage, enabling zero-emissions charging without connecting to the grid. It is an ideal technology for remote locations, like trailheads, and also provides climate resiliency benefits, capable of charging not just cars but other devices as well. The unit is fully transportable on a flatbed truck and could be dispatched if needed to provide power for vehicles and other uses anywhere in the County.”

The unit, which carries with it a large solar panel, is portable. It’s currently stationed at the county's office complex on Ulster Avenue in Kingston, which houses a number of county departments, including Social Services, Veterans Services and the Office for the Aging, as well as Family Court. Later this year, the charging station will be relocated to its new home in the Ashokan Trail parking lot off Route 28 in Boiceville.

Other speakers joining Metzger were county Legislator Chris Hewitt, chair of the Energy, Environment & Sustainability Committee; Tim Guinee, president of Climate Action Now and legislative director of the NY Climate Reality Project Chapters Coalition; and Betta Broad, campaign director of New Yorkers for Clean Power, and director of advocacy at the Association for Energy Affordability.

At the unveiling Metzger highlighted progress by the county in implementing her Executive Order on Climate she issued last year, making Ulster County the first in the state to align its climate goals with the state's nation-leading Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. The comprehensive order included provisions to expand EV infrastructure and strengthen the County’s “Green Fleet” policy, making EVs the default purchase for passenger vehicles and setting a goal of a fully electrified transit fleet by 2035.

“The Ulster County legislature is focused on securing green technologies that reduce our carbon footprint and encourage an economy that regenerates our earth,” Hewitt said. “We are in the process of empowering all of our towns to invest in modern green energy, like the new innovative EV charging station at the [Department of Social Services]. Improvements like this move our county forward on its path to having the greenest fleet in the state.”