New York State Budget Includes First in Nation 2035 Commitment For Electric School Buses Budget Allocates $1 Billion for EV Infrastructure, Including Electric School Buses
Albany, N.Y. – The New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV) and the World Resources Institute’s Electric Bus Initiative applaud Governor Hochul and the New York State Senate and Assembly for including in this year’s budget nation-leading legislation that aims to have all new school bus purchases be zero-emission starting in 2027 and requires all school buses statewide be 100% zero-emission by 2035. Dedicating $500 million in the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act for electric school buses and charging infrastructure will ensure that school districts serving disadvantaged communities will be at the front of the line to put electric buses on the road.
“We are grateful that New York State has prioritized the transition to electric school buses.” Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters said. “Our students go to school to learn but we put them at risk when we send them to school in diesel buses. We know that electric school buses have 70% lower greenhouse gas emission than diesel buses, and we have to consider that asthma is the leading cause of school absences, currently impacting 1 in 10 school-aged children in New York State. When we switch to electric school buses, we’re going to see cleaner air, we’re going to be protecting our students, bus drivers, and communities, and we’re going to be helping keep students safe and healthy in school.”
“We applaud Governor Hochul for this first-in-the-nation step toward delivering cleaner school commutes for kids while also creating new jobs and combating climate change,” said Justin Balik, Senior Manager of State Policy for World Resources Institute’s Electric School Bus Initiative. We also are especially grateful for the steadfast leadership of both Senator Tim Kennedy and Assemblywoman Pat Feahy and the tireless efforts of advocacy organizations and other long-time champions of this cause. Now we need to make sure the environmental bond act passes this fall, and we look forward to working with the administration and the education community on the critical implementation work ahead as New York begins this ambitious transition.”
“By investing in all-electric school buses, Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature are eliminating a source of toxic air pollution in our communities, and we are glad to see that,” said LJ Portis, WE ACT for Environmental Justice’s Environmental Policy and Advocacy Coordinator. “Operating diesel school buses is detrimental to all children, and every community these buses travel through. But children of color are exposed to even more of this toxic pollution because buses are often parked in their communities, adding to the cumulative impact of what is already significantly worse air quality.”
“Governor Hochul and the Legislature, by including the electric school bus initiative and Bond Act funding in the State budget, are protecting our kids from harmful diesel pollution, reducing climate emissions, and creating jobs. We are so excited to know that before they graduate, today’s kindergarteners will see a brighter, cleaner, all-electric school bus future,” said Deb Peck Kelleher, Director of Policy Analysis for the Alliance for Clean Energy New York.
“We commend Governor Hochul and the Legislature for recognizing electric school buses as a climate, jobs and community priority for New Yorkers and their families. Investing in electric buses means investing in our future, and we are encouraged by the inclusion of $500 million in Bond Act funding for this endeavor. We are excited about the progress made and have more work to do. For this transition to truly succeed, we must work to make clean school buses more cost effective and create good, family-sustaining jobs in the process. We continue to advocate for a competitive best value purchasing and procurement process, and for NYSERDA to work with OGS to maximize good jobs for all workers manufacturing, driving and maintaining our next generation of school buses, said Jay Mehta, Northeast Director for Jobs to Move America
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