New York City is entering a new phase of electrification. Electric vehicles are rapidly becoming part of everyday transportation, and the infrastructure required to support them is expanding just as quickly. But behind the push for cleaner mobility lies a major technical challenge: much of the city’s electrical infrastructure was built decades ago, long before EV charging was even imagined.
For Richard Sajiun, CEO and Master Electrician of Sajiun Electric Inc., the challenge isn’t surprising. With nearly three decades leading federal electrical projects and a family legacy dating back 60 years in New York’s electrical infrastructure, he has spent his career modernizing aging systems for demanding environments such as hospitals, public housing, and government facilities. The EV charging wave, he says, is simply the next chapter in a long history of infrastructure adaptation.
From Family Foundations to Essential City Services
Sajiun Electric Inc. was founded in 1965 when Richard’s father started a small electrical Business in the Bronx. Initially focused on residential and light commercial projects, the company gradually developed a reputation for dependable work across the city.
When Richard took leadership in 1995, he made a strategic shift toward federal and public-sector electrical contracting. Preparing the company for that transition required years of careful planning, including obtaining specialized certifications, strengthening compliance systems, and building teams capable of handling complex government projects.
Today, Sajiun Electric Inc. operates as a federal electrical contractor with a Master Electrician’s license, Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification, and a long-standing record of completing government projects without default. The company’s work supports critical environments where reliability is essential, including medical facilities, institutional buildings, and infrastructure projects that demand rigorous electrical planning.
Transforming Obstacles into Opportunities for Strength
The growing push for EV infrastructure is now placing new demands on the city’s electrical systems. Local Law 55, signed in April 2024, requires all parking facilities licensed by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection with ten or more spaces to incorporate EV charging capabilities. By January 1, 2035, at least 20 percent of parking spaces must have Level 2 chargers installed, while 40 percent must be charger-ready.
The scale of this change is significant. New York City has more than 1,600 licensed parking facilities, yet only about 324 currently have EV charging infrastructure. That leaves roughly 1,276 garages requiring electrical retrofits over the next decade.
According to Richard Sajiun, the challenge is less about installing chargers and more about understanding what lies behind the walls of these older buildings. “You can’t bolt new demand onto old infrastructure without understanding the system that supports it,” he explains.
Most parking structures built decades ago were never designed for the electrical loads that modern EV charging requires. Retrofitting them often means performing detailed load calculations, upgrading electrical panels, and coordinating new service capacity with Con Edison. Without careful planning, the risk of overloading existing infrastructure becomes very real.
Building Endurance in a High-Pressure Industry
Large-scale electrical modernization requires discipline, planning, and careful coordination with multiple agencies. For companies unfamiliar with complex electrical retrofits, the process can quickly become overwhelming.
Richard Sajiun has spent decades addressing similar challenges in critical environments. Hospitals, for example, require extensive load balancing and redundancy to ensure life-support systems remain operational. Public housing facilities often demand upgrades to electrical infrastructure that was installed generations ago.
Those same principles now apply to EV infrastructure. “Every building has a different electrical story,” he says. “Before you install a single charger, you have to understand the system’s capacity, the building’s service connection, and how the new demand will affect the entire electrical network.”
Significant funding is also supporting the transition. Con Edison’s PowerReady program alone represents approximately $700 million in infrastructure investment, while New York State’s Make-Ready program provides an additional $1.24 billion to accelerate EV charging development. Federal programs further expand available resources.
At the same time, evolving policies continue to shape the direction of electrification. For example, new state regulations such as NYS S1736E now require EV-ready parking in new commercial construction with ten or more spaces beginning in April 2025.
Lessons for Contractors Seeking Stability
For electrical contractors, the EV infrastructure boom presents both opportunity and responsibility. Richard believes the key lies in applying the same disciplined approach used in complex government work.
Proper planning, compliance with electrical codes, and thorough documentation are essential for projects of this scale. Contractors must understand electrical loads, service capacity, safety requirements, and coordination with utilities before installation even begins.
“It’s not just about installing equipment,” he explains. “It’s about making sure the infrastructure behind that equipment can support it safely and reliably.”
The work may be technical, but the stakes are high. As EV adoption accelerates, reliable electrical infrastructure will become essential for keeping cities moving.
A Standard of Excellence That Endures
Sajiun Electric Inc.’s decades of experience retrofitting aging electrical systems have positioned the company to understand the complexities of infrastructure modernization. Whether upgrading hospital power systems or preparing buildings for new energy demands, the core challenge remains the same: adapting older infrastructure to meet modern requirements.
For Richard Sajiun, the EV charging transition highlights the importance of careful engineering and thoughtful planning. “Infrastructure doesn’t change overnight,” he says. “It evolves through careful upgrades and responsible electrical work.”
Quietly Powering a City That Never Stops
As New York City prepares for the next generation of transportation, the work happening behind the scenes will determine how smoothly that transition unfolds.
While EV chargers may become the visible symbol of electrification, the real transformation lies deeper within the electrical systems that power them.
Through decades of experience modernizing complex infrastructure, Richard Sajiun continues to advocate for an approach grounded in expertise, planning, and respect for the systems that keep the city running. In a city built on constant motion, reliable electrical infrastructure remains the quiet force powering every step forward.