BILL NUMBER: S8765a

SPONSOR: METZGER
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act directing the commissioner of the department of environmental
conservation to promulgate rules and regulations establishing targets
for the sales of zero emissions medium and heavy duty vehicles in the
state

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends the unconsolidated law to require the commissioner of
the department of environmental conservation (DEC) to, within 180 days
of the effective date, promulgate rules and regulations, that may
include the updating of existing regulations, which establish targets
for the sales of zero emissions medium and heavy duty vehicles in the
state. Such standards shall contain the same sales targets, fleet
percentages, and credit calculations for zero emissions medium and heavy
duty vehicles as regulations adopted by the state of California.

Section 2 establishes the effective date.
              

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Since 2014, New York has administered a Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV)
program, which sets standards for the sales of zero emissions passenger
and light-duty vehicles in the state. This program was adopted from a
similar program established by California's Air Resources Board (CARE),
and was part of a multi-state plan to increase the number of zero emis-
sions vehicles in the United States.  One element of this program is a
requirement for automakers and manufacturers to maintain a certain
amount of ZEV credits in proportion to their sales of non-electric vehi-
cles, which they could gain through sales of ZEVs and low emissions
vehicles (LEVs). This percentage increases over time, and will result in
15% of vehicles sales in the participating states to be ZEVS by 2025.

Recently, CARB adopted regulations to add medium and heavy-duty vehicles
to the ZEV program. Like for passenger and light-duty vehicles, the
sales percentage requirements for medium and heavy-duty vehicles also
increase over time, resulting in 55% of Class 2b - 3 truck sales, 75% of
Class 4 - 8 straight truck sales, and 40% of truck tractor sales being
ZEVs by 2035. The program also contains large employer and fleet owner
reporting requirements to better understand the purchase practices
relating to ZEVs and LEVs. Such an extension of the ZEV program fits
perfectly into New York's existing goals of reducing greenhouse gas
emissions and the worsening of climate change. This bill requires the
DEC commissioner to promulgate rules and regulations which would adopt
this new medium and heavy-duty vehicle ZEV program in New York.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Undetermined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.