Senator Tom O’Mara says New York’s all-electric school bus mandate could become “the most costly unfunded state mandate ever imposed” on local schools if not urgently reconsidered.
In his weekly column, O’Mara urged Governor Kathy Hochul and state energy officials to scrap the 2027 implementation timeline, calling the plan “enormously expensive,” “unworkable,” and potentially dangerous for student transportation in cold-weather regions like upstate New York.
The mandate, enacted in 2022, requires that all school buses purchased in the state beginning in 2027 must be electric. O’Mara, a longtime critic of the mandate, said schools will face staggering costs—estimating the electric conversion would cost between $8 billion and $15.25 billion more than simply replacing current fleets with diesel models. He warned that districts will also bear the costs of major electrical upgrades and workforce training.
“It’s worth repeating and renewing our call to reject the current timeline,” O’Mara wrote.
He noted that electric vehicles suffer from serious performance issues in cold weather, citing a Vermont pilot program where range decreased by up to 80%. The senator said, “Electric vehicles are showing an inability to operate or charge in frigid temperatures, and it does get cold in New York.”
O’Mara also warned of hidden infrastructure costs, stating that electric buses are significantly heavier than diesel ones—up to 25 tons on a rear axle compared to 10 tons on a diesel bus. This increase could force towns to pay up to $550,000 per mile for road reconstruction, a ten-fold rise over current maintenance costs.
While the most recent state budget allows for limited exemptions to the 2027 deadline, O’Mara argued that it falls far short of what school districts need. He and Assemblyman Phil Palmesano have introduced legislation (S8220/A8447) that would delay the mandate until at least 2045 and require further safety and cost analyses.
Senator George Borrello has also proposed legislation (S8467) that would rescind the mandate entirely and instead launch a state-funded pilot program to test electric buses under real-world school conditions.
Dr. Thomas J. Douglas, superintendent of the Horseheads Central School District, echoed those concerns in O’Mara’s column: “The total cost will ultimately be borne by the local tax base since this is really an unfunded mandate… We cannot risk that with our children.”
O’Mara closed the column with a blunt plea: “Pump the brakes. Slow it down. Stop ignoring the STOP signs. Bring it in for a complete overhaul.”
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