New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that she is increasing the state’s investment in electric school buses as part of New York’s Green New Deal. Hochul released $200 million more towards the statewide goal of zero-emission school bus transportation by 2035.
This funding, available for clean buses and charging infrastructure, is the second installment of funding from the $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act. The Bond Act passed in 2022 includes $500 million in taxpayer funds for electric school buses.
“Paving the way for zero-emission school buses not only cleans our air, it protects the health and wellbeing of our students,” Governor Hochul said. “With increased funding for schools to transition to clean transportation options, we are reducing harmful emissions and pollution, helping to ensure that both students and residents are breathing clean, fresh air and enjoying healthier environments to live, work, and do business.”
The state’s emission-free school bus mandate requires all new buses purchased by 2027 to be emission-free and in place by 2035. The funding will be distributed through the state School Bus Incentive Program for eligible school districts and bus fleet operators.
Many have concerns with Hochul’s continued push toward the aggressive goal of zero-emission school buses by 2035 and many think the goal is not feasible or practical at all no matter the year.
Issues brought out by opponents include the inability to operate or charge in frigid temperatures and generally poor reliability. Pilot programs in Vermont and Chicago have demonstrated these vulnerabilities with electric buses. Electric school buses can lose up to 80% of their range in cold weather and some don't work at all.”
And then there is the huge initial cost. A new electric bus costs $400,000 to $450,000, which is triple that of a regular bus that costs $130,000. Add that to the additional cost of infrastructure upgrades, installation of charging stations, electrical improvements, maintenance, and building renovations
In the end, there are so many issues with safety, reliability, and cost that this program just isn’t feasible or practical enough to be broadly applied across the entire state. Electric buses might work well in more dense localities that experience less harsh weather. That should be explored and implemented only in a targeted way, not as a state-wide mandate.
New York Republicans have tough criticism for Hochul’s 2035 mandate questioning the feasibility of the timeline and the effectiveness of electric vehicles in a more rural setting.
State Sen. Peter Oberacker (R-Schenevus) said that school districts across the state are “struggling under the weight of excessive state mandates.”
“In my rural senate district, where bus routes can take hours to complete, it is unreasonable to force schools to move forward with untested electric buses that may not be up to the demands,” he said. “Add on top of that the cost, at a time when many districts are struggling to stay afloat, and we are looking at an entirely unworkable proposal.”
Earlier this year, numerous Republican Assembly and Senate members were joined by officials from New York’s education community in calling on Governor Hochul and the Legislature’s Democratic majorities to pause the 2027 statewide implementation of the electric school bus mandate to allow for the completion of a pilot program, cost-benefit analysis and other feasibility assessments. Their request fell on deaf ears.
Republican lawmakers do support a pilot program that allows a school district to test the effectiveness of zero-emission buses on its route before making the switch.