The City of Albany begins paving the way for electric cars. A new initiative announced by Mayor Jennings will explore the possibility of installing charging stations across the city, fueling the future of green energy development just in time for Earth Day. Our Solomon Syed has more.

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ALBANY, N.Y. -- What you see in the video above could soon be the latest addition to the Albany landscape. It's an EVSE, or simply put, a car charger. The hope is that dozens of these devices will soon power electric cars in the heart of the Capital Region.

"We know that we're paying too much for fuel, using too much fuel. Environmentally, this is the way to go," said Mayor Jerry Jennings, who announced the city's new partnership with NYSERDA and the Department of Transportation: A $200,000 public and privately funded program that will put a charge in Albany's ability to support electric-powered vehicles.

"We're looking in this project to build 15 charging stations," said NYSERDA VP for Technology and Strategic Planning Janet Joseph. "Then we'll have a pilot demonstration program."

That could have the charging stations up and running within a year. Depending on how the test drive goes, more units could be on the way.

"The average person takes 35 miles to go to work, plug it in wherever you're going," said DeNooyer Chevrolet owner Joel DeNooyer, whose dealership began selling the electric-powered Volt last month. "It charges up in a couple hours, 35 miles back, you'd use no gas whatsoever. The electric car is certainly the future of the auto industry."

Those sentiments are speeding up as the average price of gas races past $4 a gallon. DeNooyer Chevrolet says it has sold nine Volts since the car hit the showroom last month, well ahead of sales projections.

"It needs to be convenient to go widespread," DeNooyer admitted.

"But people will now start looking at electric cars and say 'ok, now's the good way to do it,' because they can charge them somewhere other than home," said Jennings.

That's where the rubber meets the road with this new project. The only way to stop using gas is to have access to a charging station.

Project leaders admit it could still be a few years before Albany's powered up.