New York City’s Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) and New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) have announced the completion of the city’s first solar canopy EV charging station.

Located on Staten Island at the Michael J. Petrides School, the solar canopy project includes six Level 2 EV charging ports. These chargers will support both the city’s wider fleet of electric vehicles, as well as NYCPS focused operations, according to city officials.

“By expanding electric vehicle charging stations, we are taking the next step to building a greener and more sustainable city,” says Deputy Mayor for Operations Julia Kerson. “This project will make green infrastructure more accessible, cut the city’s carbon emissions and lower energy costs for New Yorkers in every borough.”

The new installation is the first new project to see completion under New York City’s newly passed Local Law 63. Enacted in 2024, the law directs DCAS to develop solar canopy pilot programs throughout the Big Apple, with at least one canopy in city-controlled parking lots in each borough.

Funded with more than $250,000 in total investments toward sustainable fleet infrastructure, the new project expands the city’s municipal EV charging network to more than 2,600 individual charging ports, the company says, adding to the largest municipal network in the state.

Bolstering the charging network

New York City’s municipal charging network currently contains 5,970 EVs in total. This new charging project is the city’s second operational solar charging canopy of any kind, building on 2022’s similar project, which directly supported the city’s Department of Correction on Rikers Island.

“This marks the very first solar canopy installation on Staten Island, and with our partners at NYC Public Schools we are taking yet another step forward to advancing the city’s long-term sustainability goals,” says DCAS Commissioner Yume Kitasei. “At DCAS we are committed to building the nation’s leading municipal electric fleet — to do so, we must continue to invest in the infrastructure needed to power that transition.”

The charging canopy will mainly see use from that fleet of nearly 6,000 vehicles, according to Keith Kerman, DCAS Deputy Commissioner and NYC chief fleet officer Keith Kerman. Located on the 43-acre campus of the Michael J. Petrides School, the charging station is a hugely important addition to the city’s renewable energy infrastructure.

“NYC’s fleet operations use a lot of electric power and biofuel every day to serve New Yorkers. With today’s announcement, we expand our capacity to produce that electric power ourselves using solar panels,” Kerman says.  “This new solar canopy will charge electric fleet units and school buses using sunlight while providing additional shade and storm resilience.”

The solar canopy also provides much needed shade and weather protection for school vehicles located under the project. Grid power will serve as a backup source at night, officials say, or when additional charging power is needed.

“Solar power and electric vehicles are an important part of New York City’s clean energy future,” says Louise Yeung, New York City’s chief climate officer. “By pairing renewable energy with EV charging, this project helps reduce emissions while strengthening the city’s ability to power its growing electric fleet. Investments like this show how we can build our public infrastructure cleaner and more resilient, while delivering real benefits to New Yorkers.”

Tags: carport/canopy, EV charging, New York City, project