Tedisco: Transparency Needed on New State Mandate for Schools to Go Electric with Buses

Senator Jim Tedisco (R,C-Ballston Lake), Ranking Member of the New York State Education Committee, today is calling on the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), to publicly release vital information related to a new state law that prohibits school districts in the state from purchasing non-electric buses starting in 2027 – just a little over two years away.

Tedisco is requesting NYSERDA provide the following:

1.     A detailed list of school districts that have completed a Fleet Electrification Study.

2.     Insights into how many of these districts have progressed from planning to actual infrastructure installation.

3.     Preliminary data on the costs incurred by districts in developing and implementing these electrification plans if available.

The electric school bus mandate, enacted in 2022, requires new school buses purchased 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.

“The goal of having several clean energy options is a good one, but it’s got to be done with full transparency and common sense 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.  The impending transition to electric school bus fleets represents a significant financial undertaking for our school districts and the already bloated state budget. By compiling this information, we can better assess the economic implications and provide necessary support to our local educational institutions,” said Senator Jim Tedisco.

Senator Tedisco, who is a former special education teacher, and several of his colleagues in the Senate and Assembly are seeking to rescind the electric school bus mandate and replace it with a pilot program to evaluate electric bus performance in New York State’s urban, suburban and rural areas.

“We need a reasonable approach, like the legislation I’m sponsoring Senate Bill 8467 , 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 Tedisco.

Attached Senator Tedisco’s letter to the President of NYSERDA