Most Republican and Democratic state lawmakers agree on two things: All school buses in the state need to transition from diesel to emission-free buses, and that it won’t be an easy feat.
School districts across the state and Long Island have started to create their plans for meeting the state mandate requiring school buses to be zero-emission by 2035. But it’s proving to be a complex task that might require additional legislation.
Several Democrats, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, have proposed changes such as tweaking state transportation aid and giving districts the ability to amend their transportation contracts. Republicans are saying the deadline should be pushed back entirely.
Education advocacy groups and many school leaders have expressed concerns about the cost of replacing their fleets, potential issues with power grid capacity, and questions about whether electric batteries and chargers can meet their needs.
Here are five things to know about the state’s emission-free school bus mandate:
New York’s 2022-23 budget set a mandate requiring all new buses sold in the state to be zero-emission by 2027 and that all buses on the road be zero-emission by 2035.
Zero-emission buses can include battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell buses. The mandate comes as the state looks to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to combat climate change.
There are approximately 45,000 school buses statewide, comprising about 10% of buses nationwide, according to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
“It’s not just a climate initiative, it’s a public health initiative,” state Senate Environmental Conservation Committee chairman Pete Harckham (D-South Salem) said at a news conference last week, citing air-quality issues stemming from diesel fuel.
Most school buses run on diesel, which releases air pollutants that can make breathing difficult, and children are particularly susceptible, especially those in disadvantaged communities,…
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