New York voters gave electric school buses (ESBs) a strong show of support on May 20, as school districts across the state approved budgets with ESB purchases.
Voters in the vast majority of school districts with ESBs on the ballot said yes to protecting kids’ health, reducing harmful diesel pollution, and accelerating the transition to a fully electric school bus fleet by 2035.
Many of these purchases will be funded at little or no cost to local taxpayers thanks to $500 million in Environmental Bond Act funding and other state incentives, in addition to federal EPA grants.
The state, recognizing the need for more funding to meet the demand, included up to $100 million for ESBs and infrastructure in the FY2026 budget that passed earlier this month. Lawmakers also made adjustments to certain waivers to allow for maximum flexibility without compromising the target date of 2035 for all school buses on the road in New York State to be zero-emission.
While misinformation has proliferated, the numbers tell the story of a statewide ESB transition lifting off, with over a hundred on the road across the state – with many more coming after yesterday’s vote – and over half of the state’s school districts actively planning the electrification of their school bus fleets as part of NYSERDA’s New York School Bus Incentive Program.
“Yesterday’s votes sent a powerful message: New Yorkers are ready to leave dirty diesel in the rearview mirror,” said Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters. “The transition to electric school buses is real, it’s happening, and it’s gaining speed across the state. These votes are proof that when districts have the resources they need, they choose clean, healthy, zero-emission buses for their kids.
This announcement is co-signed by the New York League of Conservation Voters, World Resources Institute, Mothers Out Front, and the Alliance for Clean Energy New York.