Governor Hochul Releases Roadmap and Guidebook for P-12 Schools to Transition Bus Fleets to Zero-Emission

 

Resources Will Help School Districts and Bus Operators Remove Fossil Fuel Vehicles and Transportation Emissions

Supports Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act Goal to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions 85 Percent by 2050 and the State’s Requirements for All New School Buses Sold in New York State be Zero-Emission by 2027 and All School Buses on the Road be Zero-Emission by 2035

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the New York State Electric School Bus Roadmap and The Electric School Bus Guidebook to help New York P-12 schools transition bus fleets to zero-emission. These new resources provide school districts and bus operators with the technical and financial assistance necessary to remove fossil fuel vehicles from service and help reduce transportation emissions with a focus on disadvantaged communities and high-need school districts. Today’s announcement supports the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 85 percent by 2050 and New York State’s requirements that all new school buses sold in New York State be zero-emission by 2027 and all school buses on the road be zero-emission by 2035.

“As New York State continues to lead the way in the fight against climate change, we must address the ways that fossil-fuel powered transportation directly affects our families and communities with emissions from school buses at the top of that list,” Governor Hochul said. “Providing the tools for school districts to swap out diesel and gas school buses with zero-emission bus fleets will help students and their communities across the state breathe cleaner air and enjoy a healthier way of life.”

The New York State Electric School Bus Roadmap outlines costs, challenges and proposed recommendations that New York State and key partners – including utilities, manufacturers, and operators – can implement. It also covers vehicle choice, procurement, and fleet planning options that will accelerate zero-emission school bus adoption. Highlights of the roadmap include:

• Electric school buses currently on the market can be affordable and attainable for schools when available state and federal incentive programs are utilized, making the cost of owning and operating an electric school bus comparable to, or lower than, a diesel or gasoline bus.
• Electric school buses can meet the bus route needs of most schools which have an average bus route of 80 miles per day.
• Low cost Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) chargers provide sufficient power for electric school buses through overnight charging. Ninety-six percent of school buses, outside of New York City, return to depots for at least 12 hours overnight.

The roadmap will be updated every three years to reflect changing zero-emission school bus market conditions.

Additionally, The Electric School Bus Guidebook provides information and resources for school districts and bus operators to help them become more familiar with key terms and processes for transitioning to zero-emission school bus fleets. The first three guides focus on the benefits of zero-emission buses, the procurement process, and charging stations to inform discussions with school boards and the public. More guides will be added to the main guidebook throughout 2023 and will cover best practices for bus routing, safety, workforce development, and technician training. The guidebook will continue to be updated periodically as new information becomes available to receive these updates, sign up on NYSERDA’s Electric School Bus web page.

Both the roadmap and guidebook pinpoint critical factors and decisions that school districts and bus operators face when considering clean bus options. Zero-emission buses include both battery electric buses and hydrogen fuel cell buses which are expected to be available for purchase in New York State in the coming years. Both types of buses eliminate diesel and gasoline fumes that can drift into, and then linger within buses – negatively impacting air quality and child health.

Transportation contributes to 30 percent of the State’s greenhouse gas emissions, one of the largest sources of emissions in the state. New York has 45,000 school buses, which makes up approximately 10 percent of the nation’s total. New York State continues to make funding and resources available to help support the cost to transition to clean fleets. Funding for clean school buses is also available through the New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program and under the $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022.

The Bond Act makes $500 million available under the Public School Bus Electrification Program to help school bus fleets start transitioning their buses and depots to accommodate zero-emission vehicles and infrastructure. For more information on the Bond Act, visit www.ny.gov/bondact.

New York State's $1 billion investment in electrifying its transportation sector is vital to advancing the State's sweeping climate and clean energy plan. Reducing carbon emissions and pollution from vehicles creates cleaner air and healthier communities, particularly in underserved areas. A range of initiatives grow access to electric vehicles and improve clean transportation for all New Yorkers including EV Make Ready, EVolve NY, the Drive Clean Rebate, Charge Ready 2.0, the New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program and federal funding under the NEVI Program.

New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Plan

New York State's nation-leading climate agenda calls for an orderly and just transition that creates family-sustaining jobs, continues to foster a green economy across all sectors and ensures that at least 35 percent, with a goal of 40 percent, of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities. Guided by some of the nation’s most aggressive climate and clean energy initiatives, New York is on a path to achieving a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and economywide carbon neutrality by mid-century. A cornerstone of this transition is New York's unprecedented clean energy investments, including more than $35 billion in 120 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce building emissions, $3.3 billion to scale up solar, more than $1 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and over $2 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. These and other investments are supporting more than 165,000 jobs in New York’s clean energy sector in 2021 and over 3,000 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, New York also adopted zero-emission vehicle regulations, including requiring all new passenger cars and light-duty trucks sold in the State be zero emission by 2035. Partnerships are continuing to advance New York’s climate action with nearly 400 registered and more than 100 certified Climate Smart Communities, nearly 500 Clean Energy Communities, and the State’s largest community air monitoring initiative in 10 disadvantaged communities across the state to help target air pollution and combat climate change.