New York state’s electric school bus mandate faces a likely delay under a state budget proposal that would push back the original July 2027 transition start to 2032, the year it was initially supposed to be completed.
Some school districts said the original timeframe was not achievable, and rural lawmakers raised concerns that rural districts would struggle to meet the deadline.
But Deb Peck Kelleher, executive director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York, said the delay does not make sense.
“It’s a transition with the expectation school districts will purchase one or two,” she said, “and then slowly, as they do their bus replacements in their normal schedule, they would replace their diesel buses with zero-emission buses.”
Several provisions and programs were already in place to help districts manage the transition. One allowed individual districts to seek waivers to push back their efforts. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, or NYSERDA, also offered resources to help school leaders develop a plan.
The state also set aside $500 million to support planning work.
The planned postponement comes amid Gov. Kathy Hochul’s push to roll back the state’s climate goals. NYSERDA data find electrifying the state’s entire school bus fleet would create air quality improvements equal to removing 180,000 cars from the roads.
Peck Kelleher said school districts have identified several hurdles to getting the newer technology onto daily routes.
“Supply-chain issues and receiving the buses in a timely manner has been an issue,” she said. “Ensuring the charging infrastructure is in place for the buses and ensuring that there’s enough electricity available for the charging infrastructure.”
Electric school buses also have been subject to misinformation about their effectiveness, particularly in cold climates. But NYSERDA says Alaska and Canada have implemented zero-emission buses without issue.
Edwin is a reporter and producer in North Tonawanda, New York. He’s previously reported for the Niagara Gazette and the Ithaca Times. Edwin got an early start in radio interning for WBFO-88.7FM, NPR’s Buffalo affiliate. In 2018, he graduated from SUNY Buffalo State College with a B.A. in Journalism, and in 2022, graduated from Syracuse University with an M.S. in Communications.