electric bus fleets

Press Release:

Following the defeat of an electric bus proposal by voters in Chautauqua County’s Bemus Point school district, Senator George Borrello has penned a letter to Governor Hochul urging her to clarify how the state plans to address the public resistance schools are encountering.

“It is clear that everyday New Yorkers being asked to vote on electric bus proposals are using something that is in short supply in Albany: common sense,” said Senator Borrello. “They see the exorbitant costs of these buses and no funding plan to pay for them after start-up grants run out. They consider their limited traveling distance and cold weather vulnerability and wonder how long rural routes and field trips will be managed. And then they come to the logical conclusion that this mandate shouldn’t move forward now.”

“While the Governor and my Democratic colleagues blame these voter defeats on poor communication and outreach by the school districts, that certainly wasn’t the case in the Bemus Point district. They hosted three, well-publicized information sessions, offered bus walk-throughs, saturated their social media channels and website with proposal information and had a feature on a Buffalo news channel, all aimed at educating voters about the issue and the already-secured financial incentives that would cover the costs,” said Sen. Borrello.

Sen. Borrello cited the Superintendent’s explanation for the ‘no’ votes: 

“Based on feedback shared with us from the Board of Election poll workers and other school employees, the majority of community members who voted were simply not in favor of electric school buses. It didn’t matter how much the district received in financial incentives; they did not support the political process that put this mandate into place. They firmly believed that a “no” vote would stop the process to transition to electric school buses.” – Superintendent Joseph Reyda, Bemus Point Central School District.

Bemus Point’s situation is one that is shared by several other districts around the state whose voters have also voted down electric bus proposals. Those schools include districts in Baldwinsville, Cortland, Ithaca, Newfield, Mexico, and most recently, Herkimer. Senator Borrello noted that in Baldwinsville, the proposition to purchase diesel school buses passed easily while the electric bus proposal was voted down by 2 to 1.

“My question to the Hochul administration is, ‘where do we go from here’? The school officials are trapped between the state mandate and their district taxpayers,” said Sen. Borrello. “The voters obviously don’t want this forced on them by the state, at least not now. This is one more example of how Albany’s haste to push through a radical law, without due diligence and stakeholder input, has backfired.”

“My legislation replacing the mandate with a pilot program would allow schools to test how these buses perform before taxpayer monies are spent. I am urging the Governor to listen to the message voters are sending and pump the brakes on this mandate. Unless we come up with a more sensible plan, school administrators may have to divert funding away from supporting our kids and teachers in order to meet this senseless virtual-signaling mandate from Albany. We must not allow that to happen,” concluded Sen. Borrello.

Press Release:

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Congressman Joseph Morelle today announced Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA) was awarded a highly competitive $18,113,192 grant from the U.S Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Buses & Bus Facilities Grant Program to upgrade its hydrogen fuel cell electric bus facility and purchase three hydrogen fuel cell electric buses, which will reduce air pollution from dirty diesel busses.

“Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law, the Rochester-Finger Lakes region is on the road to a cleaner air and more efficient and modern transit future. Rochester resident can breathe a little easier because this massive federal boost will not only help add three new clean hydrogen electric buses to the RGRTA fleet and upgrade its state-of-the-art operational hub, but also accelerate RGRTA to achieve a fully zero-emission bus fleet by 2040,” said Senator Schumer. “The Rochester-Finger Lakes is already a global leader when it comes to clean Hydrogen thanks to Plug Power, and thanks to federal investments like this Rochester is leading the way to show how this technology can build a better and cleaner future for our communities. This funding will keep the wheels of our local economy rolling and put Rochester residents on the road to a smoother and cleaner commute.”

“This $18.1 million in federal funding is a major boost for RGRTA and its goal to have a fully zero-emissions bus fleet by 2040. This federal investment will help bring critical upgrades to RGRTA’s electric bus facility and will add three new hydrogen fuel cell electric buses to its fleet, ensuring riders can have a cleaner commute,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This grant will boost the Rochester-Finger Lakes region’s public transportation and help Rochester remain a global leader in clean hydrogen technology.”

“Affordable, accessible, and climate-conscious transportation options are critical to supporting individuals and families and moving us closer to our green energy future,” said Congressman Joe Morelle. “This new $18.1 million in federal funding for RGRTA will ensure Rochester continues to lead our country in clean energy technologies. Congratulations to RGRTA on this exciting award, and I look forward to continuing my work alongside my colleagues in the Senate and in the New York delegation to strengthen the future of our region.”

“On behalf of the RGRTA team and our customers, I thank Majority Leader Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, and Congressman Morelle for securing this critical grant funding to help us continue our transition to a zero-emission bus fleet,” said RGRTA CEO Miguel Velázquez. “The best way to achieve a successful transition is to ensure we have adequate funding to upgrade existing facilities, address new infrastructure needs, and purchase zero-emission vehicles. Thanks to the leadership of our Congressional delegation, this grant funding will help us take an important step forward.”

RGRTA will use the funding to upgrade their existing facilities to allow for the storage and maintenance of hydrogen fuel cell battery electric buses as well as the replacement of three diesel buses with zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell electric buses.  The new hydrogen fuel cell buses will provide zero-emissions and with refueling time and driving distance range performance on par with diesel buses. The fueling time for hydrogen fuel cell buses is 6-12 minutes and even in the cold winter months, a fully fueled hydrogen fuel cell bus can travel 250-300 miles.

Schumer, Gillibrand, and Morelle have a long history of delivering the fed support needed to increase federal support to boost public transit in the Rochester-Finger Lakes. In 2022, the lawmakers delivered a whopping over $23 million for RGRTA to establish a new facility for their paratransit service RTS Access and launch a first of its kind Clean Hydrogen Fuel Cell pilot program which will be boosted further by the funding announced today. The reps also secured over $36.3 million for RGRTA through the CARES Act, over $23 million for transit in the Rochester region through the FY21 COVID Omnibus (Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021), and an additional $45 million through the American Rescue Plan. Finally, in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act the senator was able to deliver an estimated $94.7 million for RGRTA over the next 5 years.

A copy of Schumer’s original letter to Secretary Buttigieg in support of the grant can be found below:

I am pleased to write in support of the grant application submitted by the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA) to the Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration’s Buses and Bus Facilities Grant program and the Low or No Emission Grant program.

With funding, RGRTA will make critical hydrogen related code compliance upgrades to RGRTA’s facilities and purchase three hydrogen fuel cell buses. RGRTA is working towards the goal of having a fully zero-emission bus fleet by 2040. That goal will only be achieved if RGRTA receives the funding to purchase the vehicles and ensure the necessary infrastructure is in place to facilitate the proper fueling, maintenance, and storage of the zero-emission vehicles. This work includes making the required upgrades to existing RGRTA facilities.

I applaud the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority for its foresight in submitting this grant application and sincerely hope it is met with your approval. Thank you for your consideration.

Press Release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) was joined by his colleagues in the state Senate and Assembly to unveil a proposal to delay the requirement for school districts to purchase all-electric school buses from 2027 to 2045.

 The group also called for a cost-benefit analysis to assess this policy's impact on schools and taxpayers. While the state has set aside roughly $500 million to help with this transition, the cost of these new school buses would come out far higher, with a nearly $20 billion price tag for school districts across the state. 

Rural schools have also raised concerns that these zero-emission buses would not be reliable enough to handle long commutes and challenging weather. Hawley believes this mandate must be pushed back so that school districts can properly address these concerns.

“The Majority in Albany is at it again,” said Hawley. “This zero-emission busing mandate for school districts is unworkable, unreasonable and unattainable. Not only are these new electric buses not reliable enough for rural areas but they also cost triple the price of a standard school bus. This is why the Majority refuses to do any kind of study on the effectiveness of the policy because they know this regulation will not work and come straight out of the pockets of local school property taxpayers. Our children should not be guinea pigs for these extreme climate policies. We need to slow this process down to assess the effectiveness of this policy so we keep our students safe and don’t deprive schools of their much-needed resources.”

Press Release:

Republican members of the New York Senate and Assembly were joined by officials from New York’s education community in calling on Governor Hochul and the Legislature’s Democratic majorities to pause the 2027 statewide implementation of the electric school bus mandate to allow for the completion of a pilot program, cost-benefit analysis, and other feasibility assessments.

The electric school bus mandate, enacted in 2022, requires new school bus purchases to be zero emission by 2027 and all school buses in operation to be electric by 2035. There is no provision made for the geographical disparities, diverse weather conditions, or unique travel demands of the state’s school districts. In addition, this is another mandate from Albany that burdens cash-strapped school districts and taxpayers.

“As the 2027 implementation date of New York’s electric bus mandate approaches, school officials in my district and around the state are becoming increasingly concerned about the tremendous financial and operational challenges associated with this one-size-fits-all requirement,” said Senator George Borrello, SD57.

“This mandated conversion will have a price tag in the billions, with New York State taxpayers simply expected to foot the bill. said Sen. Borrello. “Like so much of the state’s climate agenda, there is no cost-benefit analysis of this mandate or any realistic plan for how to pay for it.”

“Electric buses cost up to three times as much as conventional buses -- it’s a difference of $130,000 versus $400,000-$450,000.  Additionally, electrical infrastructure and distribution line upgrades can add hundreds of thousands of dollars or more. The conversion cost has been conservatively estimated at between $8 billion and $15.25 billion more than the cost of replacing them with new diesel buses. However, the multi-million dollar estimates utilities are now providing to some school districts just for the electrical upgrades suggests the total costs will be much higher than $15 billion,” said Sen. Borrello.

“The EV school bus mandate is the Mother of all unfunded state mandates. At a time when our state is bleeding billions of dollars because of the migrant crisis and school aid cuts are hitting rural and suburban districts, neither our schools nor our taxpayers can shoulder crushing new costs,” said Assemblyman Phil Palmesano, AD 132.

He noted the state allocated just $500 million in the most recent Environmental Bond Act to assist schools with the conversion costs of the state’s 50,000 buses.

Assemblyman Palmesano and Senator Thomas O’Mara are sponsoring legislation that would, among other things, require the Commissioner of Education to complete a cost-benefit analysis for each school district that takes into account the costs necessary to comply with the zero-emission school bus mandate.

Legislators cited other problems associated with electric vehicles that are gaining increasing attention and adding to concerns about investing taxpayer funds in the conversion. Those problems include:

• Inability to operate or charge in frigid temperatures, as a well-publicized incident in Chicago in mid-January underscored. Designed to operate best in 70-degree temperatures, electric vehicles lose up to 40 percent of their traveling range in extreme cold and the time required to charge them is much longer. A pilot program in Vermont found traveling range decreased by 80 percent in some instances;
• Poor reliability. School districts engaged in pilot programs and agencies operating municipal buses have reported many electric buses are “gathering dust” in bus garages as a result of numerous mechanical problems and hard-to-access parts and technical support. A study by Consumer Reports found that electric vehicles have 80 percent more problems than conventional vehicles.

“While many states around the nation are wisely testing the feasibility of electric buses for their regions through pilot programs, New York Democrats rushed to enact a mandate without any firsthand data on whether it would meet the needs of our districts. This is a movie we’ve seen before in Albany and it never ends well,” said Senator Borrello.

He noted that he is proposing legislation, Senate Bill 8467, that would rescind the mandate and replace it with a state-funded pilot program that would allow schools to test how these buses perform. A condition of the pilot program is that buses be sited in all three types of settings, rural, urban, and suburban so that their performance can be evaluated. At the end of one year, a report on the program would be presented to the executive and legislature.

“The zero-emission bus mandate for schools is at present unworkable and fiscally catastrophic for rural schools.  While the goal is laudable, issues with the feasibility of the vehicles, capacity of the power grid, and fiscal commitment by the state all currently prevent compliance.  The proposed legislation is a common sense approach that will answer the needed questions prior to making promises neither the state nor the industry can keep,” said David Little, Executive Director of the Rural Schools Association.

“The goal of having several clean energy options is a good one, but it’s got to be done with common sense and in a realistic way that’s reasonable and affordable for taxpayers, our local governments, and school districts and not add to the high tax burden faced by New Yorkers.  We’re offering a reasonable proposal to rescind the electric school bus mandate that will cost school districts in New York State billions of dollars, and replace it with a state-funded pilot program that enables school districts to test and evaluate how these electric buses perform,” said Senator Jim Tedisco, Ranking Member on the Senate Education Committee.

“Rural, upstate schools need more funding to focus on educational services, not an expensive mandate that would raise taxes and divert resources away from students,” said Senator Dan Stec, Ranking Member on the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee. “Green initiatives are laudable, but the electric bus mandate runs counter to the realities our schools face. I’ve heard repeatedly from school superintendents that it simply isn’t feasible. Instead of punishing our schools with an expensive mandate for buses that may prove unreliable, let’s take a step back and replace it with a pilot program that would evaluate the efficacy of electric buses statewide.”

“School districts across New York are already struggling under the weight of excessive state mandates, yet Albany Democrats always seem to find new ways to add to their burden.  In my rural senate district, where bus routes can take hours to complete, it is unreasonable to force schools to move forward with untested electric buses that may not be up to the demands.  Add on top of that the cost, at a time when many districts are struggling to stay afloat, and we are looking at an entirely unworkable proposal.  Senator Borrello’s legislation calling for a pilot program, rather than another Albany mandate, is the best solution,” said Senator Peter Oberacker, 51st Senate District.

“My local schools are raising the alarm about this mandate and we should listen to them. It’s unrealistic, uninformed, and irresponsible. Districts are planning now for how to implement and afford it, with little guidance or funding from the state. We’re talking upwards of $400,000 for just one bus, plus more for the needed infrastructure, not to mention whether our electric grid has the necessary capacity. I want to do everything we can to protect our environment, but this mandate is impractical. Let’s be smart about this and let’s protect our students, schools, and property taxpayers,” said Senator Pam Helming, 54th Senate District.

“These proposals are each common-sense alternatives that would determine if an electric school bus mandate is affordable, reliable, and, most importantly, feasible. Our school children should not be used as the test subjects for this costly and risky mandate,” said Senator Borrello.

Press Release:

Senator George Borrello and 14 of his Republican colleagues in the Senate have sent a letter to Governor Hochul requesting that she rescind the electric bus mandate for public schools or commit to fully funding the conversion.

The electric bus mandates were passed in the 2022-23 state budget to help the state meet the lower emissions targets of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). The requirements are that new school bus purchases be zero emission by 2027 and all school buses in operation be zero emission by 2035.

“School officials in my district are all sounding the alarm about the state’s unfunded electric bus mandate and the crushing financial costs it will mean for districts. With the first deadline in just three short years, school officials are deeply concerned about their ability to afford the electric buses and infrastructure upgrades that will be necessary,” said Sen. Borrello.

A new, full-size electric bus costs $400,000 - $450,000 - triple the price of a conventional bus which is approximately $130,000. With 45,000 school buses in the state, full conversion by 2035 will cost approximately $20 billion. The cost over and above what school districts already pay for replacement buses is projected to cost between $8 billion and $15 billion statewide.

“While $100 million in grant funding for electric buses was just announced, that amount will cover 250 buses. With over 800 school districts in the state, that isn’t even one bus per district. Even the remaining $400 million that will be allocated in future rounds won’t make a dent in the costs of converting school bus fleets statewide,” Sen. Borrello added.

“Local property taxpayers must not be hit with the bill for this politically driven mandate. New York’s property taxes are already among the highest in the nation and are a key factor in our outmigration of residents. If the governor and legislative leaders won’t take the common-sense step of eliminating the mandate, they must commit to fully funding this transition,” said Sen. Borrello.

He explained that school officials are also raising concerns over logistical considerations that aren’t accounted for in the electric bus requirement.

“It is well known that frigid temperatures have a significant impact on traveling range, which could affect school transportation in the coldest parts of the state. There is no flexibility for rural schools in this situation. Similarly, there are bridges in rural communities which are not rated to handle the increased weight of electric buses,” said Senator Borrello.

“Just like the state’s entire climate agenda, the electric bus initiative has been long on virtue signaling but short on crucial details, none more glaring than how schools are expected to pay for this exorbitantly expensive transition.”

“Governing by edict, without gathering input from those on the ground who must implement these plans, is a recipe for disaster,” Sen. Borrello added. “It is time to course correct by either lifting the mandates or committing the funding. The ‘magical thinking’ that has characterized this entire climate agenda is going to bankrupt our state unless state leaders face reality and adjust their unworkable policies.”