Elliott Auerbach, Comptroller

244 Fair Street

Kingston, NY 12401
845-340-3529
www.youreyesonulster.com

_____

Electric Car Chargers: The Who, What, and Where of Usage

________________________

___________May 4, 2016___

of 2015, the Ulster County Legislature adopted a

general policy for the stations, which in part regulated
the use of designated parking spaces, provided for
penalties to unauthorized vehicles, and required a
usage report be presented to the Legislature and
Executive. 3 In December of 2015, at the behest of the
Office of the Comptroller and Legislative Counsel,
the Legislature passed an amended policy that would
have required a reasonable fee for usage in order to
cure any potential violation of the New York State
Constitutions Gift and Loan provision; however, it
was subsequently vetoed by the County Executive, as
it was declared to serve a permissible public purpose. 4

Introduction and Background

In 2015, Ulster County (County) installed nine
electric car charging stations at the following
properties owned by the County: (1) Ulster County
Courthouse, Kingston; (2) Ulster County Office
Building, Kingston; (3) Ulster County Public Works
Complex, Kingston; (4) Ulster County Health
Department, Kingston; (5) Ulster Avenue Office
Complex, Kingston; (6) SUNY Ulster Extension
Center, Kingston; (7) Ulster County Probation
Department, Kingston; (8) Ulster County Law
Enforcement Center, Kingston; and (9) Trudy
Resnick Farber Center for Human Development,
Ellenville. The charging stations, equipment, and
software were funded through grants from the New
York State Energy Research and Development
Authority as part of the Governors ChargeNY
program, amounting to a total of $94,950 or $10,550
per station; however, installation, labor, and related
costs were attributed to the County for a total of
$53,033.70. 1

Charging: By the Numbers

As of March 2016, 534 separate charging sessions,
accounting for 3477.7 kWh in electricity, were

Office of the County Attorney (addressed to the Office of the

Comptroller on October 5, 2015).
3
See Resolution No. 332: Establishing A Policy For Use Of Electric
Vehicle Charging Stations on Ulster County Property by the Ulster
County Legislature (September 15, 2015), available at
http://ulstercountyny.gov/sites/default/files/Res.%20No.%20332%20%20Exhibit%20A%20Electric%20Vehicle%20Charging%20Stations%20Policy_0.pdf.
4
See Resolution No. 446: Amending The Electric Vehicle Charging
Station Policy To Require A Fee For Use by the Ulster County
Legislature (December 15, 2015), available at
http://ulstercountyny.gov/sites/default/files/Res.%20No.%20446%20%20Exhibit%20A%20Electric%20Vehicle%20Charging%20Stations%20Policy.pdf; as well
as the veto message signed by the County Executive on December 23,
2015, available at
http://ulstercountyny.gov/sites/default/files/Charging%20Station%20V
ETO.pdf.

The County established this initiative with the stated

goals of reducing our local carbon footprint and
promoting clean energy practices, supporting the
Countys Sustainable Green Fleet policy, and
furthering opportunities for tourism. 2 In September
1

See Leviton New York Station Award Agreement, executed February

20, 2015 (detailing the terms and costs applicable to the nine charging
stations installed on County properties in 2015).
2
See gen Ulster County has installed 9 electric car-charging stations,
and they can be used for free by Patricia Doxsey (Daily Freeman,
August, 9, 2015), as well as Opinion Electric Charging Station by the

Elliott Auerbach, Comptroller

244 Fair Street
Kingston, NY 12401
845-340-3529
www.youreyesonulster.com

recorded across the nine stations. 5 The following

chart provides a breakdown of usage per station,
including the average total duration of charges (i.e.
how long a vehicle sits in a parking space) vs. the
average charging time (i.e. actively charging a
vehicles battery).
Charging
Station
Location

Sessions 6

Energy
(kWh)

UC
Courthouse
UC Office
Building
Trudy
Resnick
Farber
Center
UC Public
Works
Complex
Ulster
Avenue
Office
Complex
UC
Probation
Department
SUNY
Extension
UC Health
Department
UC Law
Enforcement
Center

163

1173

Average
Total
Duration
(h:m:s)
1:48:22

Average
Charge
Time
(h:m:s)
1:30:05

126

448

1:55:38

1:11:03

100

948

5:20:21

3:17:49

29

387

3:47:39

2:47:20

26

141

1:07:16

While the Ulster County Courthouse enjoyed the

greatest volume of energy consumption and usage
frequency, the Ulster County Law Enforcement
Center was at the bottom with only one session and
zero kilowatt hours. Additionally, the Ulster County
Health Department and Law Enforcement Center saw
the lowest average charging times, but the Trudy
Resnick Farber Center for Human Development and
Public Works Complex had the highest.
The next chart summarizes usage patterns based on
the zip codes registered to each vehicle. These
figures are useful, as they allow for a comparison
between resident and out-of-town drivers.
Driver Zip
Code/Municipality
12401 Kingston, NY
12449 Lake Katrine,
NY
12419 Cottekill, NY
12572 Rhinebeck,
NY
Miscellaneous 7
12477 Saugerties,
NY
12440 High Falls,
NY
12446 Kerhonkson,
NY
10514 Chappaqua,
NY
12018 Averill Park,
NY
12498 Woodstock,
NY
20850 Rockville, MD
12534 Hudson, NY
06883 Weston, CT
12020 Ballston Spa,
NY
12525 Gardiner, NY
18940 Newtown, PA

1:01:17

23

136

1:40:17

1:20:07

22

76

1:30:24

1:17:59

17

0:24:41

0:24:23

0:02:23

0:02:03

All data was received from ChargePoint, Inc., which operates and
maintains the network of software and services used to monitor the
charging stations and their applications, and is current as of March
2016 beginning from the inception of the program in mid-2015.
6
It should be noted that the figures from this chart (i.e. charging
locations) were received approximately one week before the statistics
in the second chart (i.e. driver residences), which is why sessions and
energy consumption is shown to have slightly increased over that
period. However, all information is current as of the date that the UC
Dept. of Environment was required to issue a usage report to the
Executive and Legislature in accordance with Resolution No. 332 of
2015.

Sessions

Energy (kWh)

200
105

1243.45
989.71

47
41

109.63
256.03

40
15

209.61
47.83

14

72.57

12

39.17

268.19

3.68

11.04

5
4
3
3

51.39
9.25
14.18
22.94

3
3

12.87
21.31

Drivers do not have ChargePoint accounts or have missing

information.

Elliott Auerbach, Comptroller

244 Fair Street
Kingston, NY 12401
845-340-3529
www.youreyesonulster.com

10954 Nanuet, NY
12561 New Paltz, NY
14020 Batavia, NY
14221 Buffalo, NY
06033 Glastonbury,
CT
07945 Mendham, NJ
12528 Highland, NY
12571 Red Hook, NY
12580 Staatsburg,
NY
90069 West
Hollywood, CA
10704 Yonkers, NY
10003 NY, NY

2
2
2
2
1

9.00
13.93
14.92
13.62
20.90

1
1
1
1

5.81
2.60
4.35
1.16

7.81

1
1

.71
0

originating from Kingston, Lake Katrine, and

Cottekill shows that they are responsible for
about 55% of all charges. Therefore, keeping
with the spirit of the initiative as far as being a
catalyst for tourism, perhaps the service should
remain free for the significantly small number of
out-of-town users while implementing a low-cost
permitting program for at least the few Ulster
County residents availing themselves of this free
offering. Further, more in the way of advertising
and media exposure should be explored.
2) Charging duration limits have been exceeded

Although users have been identified from as far away

as California, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and
Connecticut, the bulk of charging sessions can be tied
to locally based drivers. By looking at individual
driver consumption figures, the predominant users of
these stations have been out of Kingston, Lake
Katrine, Cottekill, Rhinebeck, and Saugerties
accounting for over 76% of total charges from these
locations alone. It should also come as no surprise
that Kingston drivers overwhelmingly frequent the
stations, as eight out of nine chargers are found within
the City.

According to Resolution No. 332 of 2015, which

established a policy for usage, no vehicle may
remain in a designated electric car charging
station parking space for more than two hours.
However, two locations have experienced average
total durations and charging times well in excess
of this limitation: Trudy Resnick Farber Center
for Human Development (5 hours 20 minutes and
3 hours 17 minutes, respectively) and Public
Works Complex (3 hours 47 minutes and 2 hours
47 minutes, respectively). Thus, a heightened
monitoring standard should be implemented by
grounds keeping or other staff in order to ensure
that current protocols set by the Legislature are
being followed. Otherwise, potential users may
be dissuaded from actively engaging in this
service if they see that certain parking spots are
habitually occupied longer than allowed.

Findings and Recommendations

1) Primary usage has been from local drivers
While this fact is not by itself a negative, it
undermines the programs presumed appeal to
tourists and non-residents. Based on the second
chart listed above, only approximately 24% of
drivers utilizing this service can be attributed to
vehicles registered outside of Ulster County.
Further, while this information is not presented in
the above charts, user specific data from only the
top four drivers who utilize this service

3) Locations are being under utilized

The charging stations at the Ulster County Health
Department and Law Enforcement Center are
simply going unused. Together, they account for
3

Elliott Auerbach, Comptroller

244 Fair Street
Kingston, NY 12401
845-340-3529
www.youreyesonulster.com

well under 1% of the total charging sessions for

every station, as listed in the first chart. As these
locations are somewhat off the beaten path for
traveling purposes, perhaps the public would be
better served by having access to more convenient
destinations. Ulster County has the unique
privilege of having three exits along the New
York State Thruway, which is why we suggest
moving these facilities closer to those areas in
order to maximize potential tourist attractions,
albeit at a separate cost to the County.
Additionally, as County and taxpayer funds
ultimately helped pay for the chargers
installation, the public has a right to realize a
meaningful return on their investment.
4) Usage report is past due
In accordance with Resolution No. 332 of 2015,
the Department of Environment was required to
submit a detailed usage report to the County
Executive and Legislature by March 1st, as well as
every subsequent year. As far as our office is
aware, this report has neither been created nor
presented. In order to foster a transparent and
accountable program, we strongly suggest that the
appropriate department issue such report
immediately so that a clear picture of the initiative
may be taken into consideration by County
leaders and administrators.

ULSTER COUNTY
OFFICE OF THE COMPTROLLER
Po Box 1800
Kingston, New York 12402
Telephone: (845) 331-8774 Fax: (845) 340-3697

Elliott Auerbach
Comptroller

Evan R. Gallo, Esq.

Deputy Comptroller
Alicia DeMarco, CPA
Director, Internal Audit & Control

May 5, 2016
Kenneth A. Crannell
Deputy County Executive
244 Fair Street
Kingston, NY 12401
Dear Deputy County Executive Crannell:
Despite your notion to the contrary, the future of electric vehicles is undoubtedly uncertain from
a consumer vantage point given the fact that gas-powered automobiles overwhelmingly
predominate the road. Whether the number is 181 or 44 electric vehicles found within Ulster
County, that amount is but an infinitesimal fraction of the nearly 160,000 total vehicle
registrations on file with New York State for Ulster County in 2015. 1 While electric vehicles
may yield dividends as far as being environmentally and fiscally friendly, the average driver has
not flocked to jump on board the trend. Regardless of any state or federally sponsored rebate or
tax credit program, the simple fact is that many more Americans bought full-size pickups from
just The Big Three last year (2 million sold) than plug-in electric vehicles (102,600 sold). 2
The intended spirit of Local Law 9 of 2015, establishing a Green Fleet Policy, could have verywell been satisfied in alternative ways that could have allowed for more widespread enjoyment
of these services by the public at large. As stated in our report, simply spreading the charging
stations more equitably throughout the County especially near our three Thruway exits may
have enticed more drivers to visit them, outside of County employees. Further, the benefits of
the Green Fleet Policy could be realized without placing eight of the nine chargers within the
City of Kingston.
No matter the Countys intentions to create this infrastructure in accordance with the Green Fleet
Policy, expressly stated paramount goals of the program have been to foster opportunities for
tourism and economic development. Given the low numbers weve received pertaining to nonresident drivers, those explicit goals are not currently being achieved. Additionally, if the
1

See https://dmv.ny.gov/statistic/2015reginforce-web.pdf
See gen https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/us-car-sales-hit-record-high-in2015/2016/01/05/363aaf30-af14-11e5-b820-eea4d64be2a1_story.html and
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-06/plug-in-electric-vehicles-left-behind-in-u-s-autos-record-year
2

County only deployed its first 4 plug-in hybrid vehicles . . . in early March, then why couldnt
the locations of these stations be more substantially vetted before their installation?
We made no reference to costs, as that was not the purpose of this report. Regardless of whether
the County has spent $320 or $320,000 in electrical costs, the fact of the matter is that only four
individual users accounted for over 50% of the program as of two months ago. The simple point
that the public at large is not availing themselves of this free service should not go unnoticed.
Further, as recent as today, we asked the Ulster County Legislature whether they had received a
copy of any usage report from the Department of the Environment. The answer, unequivocally,
was no. If any such report has been issued, it should be forwarded to the Clerk and Chairman
immediately.
As far as the Ulster County Electric Vehicle Charging Station Policys regulation of parking
spaces, we concede that your interpretation is likely correct. However, it is even more troubling
to realize that electric vehicles are completely unregulated in their use of spaces designated for
electric vehicle charging. If your interpretation is in fact correct then an electric vehicle can be
parked in such a space for the entire day or even in perpetuity and preclude other drivers
from utilizing this service. Accordingly, this regulation appears even more offensive than at first
blush.
In closing, we do not argue with the philosophy behind the program. We simply question how it
has been executed in practice.

Sincerely,
Evan R. Gallo
Deputy Comptroller