Page 1 - QT Eedition #28 July 10, 2025
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TI MES





                                                               QUEENS














                                           Published for the Borough of Queens



           VOLUME 30, NO. 28                                      THURSDAY JULY 10, 2025                                                   25 CENTS

                                                                    New York Invests $7 Million in EV Grid
                   CONSUMER ALERT
               Attorney General James Urges                           Integration and Charging Innovation

            New Yorkers to Take Advantage of
                New “Click-to-Cancel” Rule                              Governor Kathy Hochul has
                                                                   announced a $7 million invest-
                New FTC Rule Takes Effect on July 14,              ment in electric vehicle (EV)
                Allowing Consumers to Easily Cancel                infrastructure and grid integra-
                       Unwanted Subscriptions                      tion technologies, reinforcing
                                                                   New York State’s commitment
                   New York Attorney General Letitia James reminded   to clean transportation and grid
              New Yorkers that the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC)   modernization. The initiative
              new “Click-to-Cancel” Rule will go into effect on July 14,   includes $3 million awarded to
              making it easier for consumers to cancel subscriptions   three innovative projects under
              and other services that renew automatically. The rule   the Vehicle Grid Integration Pro-
              requires companies to make cancellation at least as simple   gram, alongside a new $4 million
              as enrollment and to allow consumers to cancel using   funding opportunity to address
              the same method they used to sign up – either online, in   the  challenges  utilities  face  in
              person, or over the phone. When canceling a subscription   managing EV charging.
              online, the cancellation mechanism must be easy to find,        Awarded Projects: Enhancing
              and consumers cannot be forced to chat with an agent if   Grid Readiness
              they did not do so when they signed up.              Administered by the New York
                   “New Yorkers should never have to jump through   State Energy Research and Devel-
              hoops just to cancel an unwanted subscription,” said   opment Authority (NYSERDA),
              Attorney General James. “This new ‘Click-to-Cancel’   the $3 million in awards is tar-
              rule will protect consumers and ensure companies are   geted at scalable solutions to in-
              operating fairly. I encourage anyone who has a difficult   tegrate EVs into the electric grid.
                                                                   These projects focus on technolo-
                           (Continued on page 2)                   gies such as bi-directional charg-
                                                                   ing,  onsite  energy  generation,
             State Health Department Slow to                       energy storage, and EV managed   in NYC, Capital Region, and   10 new Level 2 chargers
                                                                   charging.
              Inspect Violations at Adult Care                          Key Awards Include:     Hudson Valley                     The Mobility House – $867,000
                                                                        Voltpost – $775,000
                                                                                                     Goals: UL certification, retro-
         Facilities, NYS Comptroller Dinapoli’s                         Focus: Lamppost EV chargers  fitting lampposts, adding at least   (Continued on page 3)
                            Audit Finds


                                     in unsafe or unsanitary conditions.   Congresswoman Grace Meng Fights For
                                     If the state Department of Health
                                     isn’t conducting timely inspec-         Money For Maspeth Firehouse
                                     tions or following up to make
                                     sure violations are corrected, then
                                     vulnerable residents could be left
                                     at risk.”
                                          Adult care facilities are primar-
                                     ily home to the elderly who can no
                                     longer live independently, but do
                                     not require the care of a nursing
                                     home. These facilities provide
             The state Department of Health  housing, meals and personal care
        (DOH) is not adequately oversee-  for individuals who need help with
        ing adult care facilities, risking the  daily activities. All facilities must
        health and safety of vulnerable  be licensed, and DOH is required
        residents, according to an audit re-  to supervise them through regular
        leased by New York State Comp-  inspections and complaint inves-
        troller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The  tigations. As of 2023, there were
        audit found DOH at times failed to  534 adult care facilities operat-
        conduct timely inspections and of-  ing in New York, serving 37,547
        ten lacked documentation to show  residents.
        critical problems were corrected.       The audit reviewed DOH’s over-
             “Adult care facilities across  sight of these facilities from Janu-
        the state have a responsibility to  ary 2018 to October 2024. Health
        protect residents and deliver qual-  and safety issues at facilities can
        ity care,” DiNapoli said. “Regular  include, but are not limited to,
        and routine inspections of these  inadequate staffing, call bells not
        facilities, and correcting prob-                           Pictured is Congresswoman Grace Meng during her recent visit to the firehouse pictured with
        lems, ensure residents are not left   (Continued on page 2)  Commissioner Tucker, Chief of Department Esposito and FDNY officials. See story on page 2.
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