REPEAL THE ELECTRIC SCHOOLBUS MANDATE!

COLONIE, NY – New York State Senator Jake Ashby and Albany County Legislator Frank Mauriello today were joined by experts and members of the community calling for a repeal of the “Electric Schoolbus Mandate” – a state policy which requires school districts statewide to purchase only electric buses starting next year, and mandate 100% all-electric fleets by 2035. Some industry experts estimate the total statewide cost of this mandate to be between $20-25 billion. The local districts listed below will account for nearly $150 million required to replace their fleets with electric buses rather than clean diesel buses.

“The electric schoolbus mandate may be the single most expensive policy in New York State history. Tens of billions in new costs for school districts statewide. Unreliable technology and inadequate electric and charging infrastructure. These are just a few of the challenges we hear about every day from school leaders and industry experts. The Governor and Democrat Majorities must put a stop to this mandate before it’s too late for our schools and property taxpayers. Without a change, local taxpayers will be forced to pick up the $150 million tab for five districts alone,” said Albany County Legislator Frank Mauriello (R-C, Colonie) Candidate for the 110th Assembly District.

“I sponsor legislation to repeal the electric school bus mandate. With more common sense leaders like Frank in Albany, we can get it passed. I'm looking forward to working with Frank to bring the bipartisan balance we desperately need right now,” said New York State Senator Jake Ashby (R-C, Castleton), 43rd Senate District.

“Electric school buses may look good on paper, but they are very expensive, their charging infrastructure is expensive, and in winter operations their performance is severely limited. The real-world mileage is dramatically reduced, downtime is frequent, and when these buses fail, they are often out of service for extended periods waiting on specialized repairs. That is not a sustainable model for transporting children every day,” said Alfred Karam, former Director of Transportation for the Bethlehem & Shenendehowa Central School Districts.

The average estimated cost of an electric school bus is $480,000 compared to $160,000 for a clean diesel bus, according to several industry experts. This cost does not include the installation of charging infrastructure for electric schoolbuses, estimated at $35,000 per two-port charger (able to charge two buses at once) – nor does it take into account the recurring electrical or utility costs needed to charge these heavy duty vehicles. And unlike fueling stations, electric school bus chargers have an approximate shelf life of seven to eight years, similar to a household dishwasher. 

EXAMPLES OF LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT IMPACTS

• North Colonie & South Colonie Central School Districts:

  • Approximately 160 school buses combined

  • Cost of an entirely electric fleet is ~$76.8 million

  • Vs. cost of an entirely clean diesel fleet is ~$25.6 million

  • School districts will be forced to spend ~$51.2 million more than they would without the mandate

  • Does not include charging infrastructure, which could cost districts another ~$2.8 million combined (plus recurring operating costs)

• East Greenbush Central School District:

  • Approximately 100 school buses

  • Cost of an entirely electric fleet is ~$48 million

  • Vs. cost of an entirely clean diesel fleet is ~$16 million

  • School district will be forced to spend ~$32 million more than they would without the mandate

  • Does not include charging infrastructure, which would cost district another ~$1.75 million (plus recurring operating costs)

• Guilderland Central School District:

  • Approximately 90 school buses

  • Cost of entirely electric fleet: ~$43.2 million

  • Vs. cost of an entirely clean diesel fleet: ~$14.4 million

  • School district will be forced to spend ~$28.8 million more than they would without the mandate

  • Does not include charging infrastructure, which would cost district another ~$1.575 million (plus recurring operating costs)

• Niskayuna Central School District:

  • Approximately 90 buses

  • Cost of entirely electric fleet: ~$43.2 million

  • Vs. cost of an entirely clean diesel fleet: ~$14.4 million

  • School district will be forced to spend ~$28.8 million more than they would without the mandate

  • Does not include charging infrastructure, which would cost district another ~$1.575 million (plus recurring operating costs)

On top of the electric schoolbus mandate’s financial costs, local school districts are facing serious reliability and logistical concerns in the transition to all-electric fleets. The period to recharge a bus after it depletes its battery capacity is less efficient in extreme temperatures. Failure to start or function properly in cold weather and dangerous lithium battery fires have led to dramatic increases in insurance costs for local school districts. Larger local school districts would have to increase their fleet size as a result of these issues. And most critically, the state’s electrical grid simply does not have the capacity to support this transition as it stands (much of the power to charge electric vehicles in New York is derived from fossil fuels).

To date, the state has allocated less than $1 billion to offset the estimated $20-25 billion cost for school districts – a virtual drop in the bucket. The New York State Energy and Research Development Authority offers “vouchers” for bus purchases and electrification costs, yet it’s still our tax dollars that are ultimately funding this transition. If unchanged, the electric schoolbus mandate will result in unprecedented property tax increases across New York.