In his State of State address on January 9, 2020, Governor Andrew Cuomo committed to advancing New York State’s clean transportation sector and expanding its electric vehicle industry.

In response, the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) is convening experts and stakeholders to develop a clean transportation roadmap for the North Country.

A two-day summit, “Clean Transportation: the Adirondack ON-RAMP,” will address topics related to electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, public transportation and commercial vehicles, as well strategies and policies for making clean transportation more accessible for residents and communities in northern New York. ON-RAMP will include a keynote address on clean transportation as a driver of economic development, plenary and breakout sessions, and the opportunity to test drive EVs as part of National Grid’s Ride and Drive Program.

Organizers cited the 2023 World University Games as a motivating factor for holding the summit. The 11-day World University Games will be based in the Village of Lake Placid, which, along with the greater Olympic Region, was awarded a gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Design) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council in December 2019.

The multi-sport event is expected to provide an opportunity for the region to demonstrate a commitment to environmentally sustainable development, including a low-carbon transit system to serve over 2,400 athletes and their spectators during the Games — as well as the transportation needs of residents, businesses and visitors into the future.

Data collected for the 2013 North Country Sustainability Plan indicate that transportation accounts for 42% of the North Country’s energy consumption and 40% of its greenhouse gas emissions, with passenger vehicles producing 72% of the region’s transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) emissions.

Clean transportation has been a growing focus of ANCA’s Clean Energy Program, an effort that has been bringing renewable energy programs and opportunities to communities throughout Northern New York.

In addition to clean energy goals set out in his State of the State Proposals, Governor Cuomo set GHG reduction targets in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which was signed into law in June 2019. The ACT sets specific targets for reducing carbon emissions and adopting clean energy technologies statewide. The State has pledged to eliminate net GHG emissions by 2050 and to transition its electricity generation to renewable and carbon-free energy sources.

The Clean Transportation Summit will take place April 22 and April 23, 2020 at the Hotel Saranac in Saranac Lake. Wednesday’s program will take place from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Thursday morning’s sessions are scheduled for 9 am to 12:30 pm. (Registration costs $150 per person, with an Early Bird rate of $130 for those who register by March 1, 2020. ANCA members receive a reduced rate of $120.)

A public screening of the 2011 documentary Revenge of the Electric Car, director Chris Paine’s sequel to his 2006 film Who Killed the Electric Car?, will precede the summit on the evening of April 21.

The screening of Revenge of the Electric Car is free and open to the public. The film, which tells the story of three major car manufacturers and leaders in the global resurgence of electric vehicles, will be shown in the Hotel Saranac Grand Ballroom at 7 pm. In addition, there will be times available for the public to test drive EV vehicles through National Grid’s Ride and Drive program.

For more information about ON-RAMP and to register, click here.

Photo of an electric car charging at a downtown Saranac Lake EV charging station, not far from a hydroelectric dam that generates a portion of the Village’s electricity courtesy ANCA.