Central New York school districts are facing a mandate to switch their buses from diesel over to electric. Advocates of the electric buses worry district officials and voters aren’t getting the right information about why they should start switching.
New York State passed a measure requiring all school districts to transition over to electric buses, for a variety of reasons. Barry Carr, an electric vehicle expert with Clean Communities of Central New York, says the promise is – no tailpipe emissions.
“And school buses are particularly important, one: they touch our children. In years past, a school bus would sit idling, waiting for kids to get off or on with diesel particulate matter, which is a carcinogen coming out of the tailpipe. And second, school buses are fairly easy to electrify because a district knows exactly how far that bus has to go every day.”
Now these buses are more expensive than their diesel counterparts. So, the state and federal governments have tax incentives to help defer most of the cost. The hope is to get the ball rolling.
The state mandate requires any new bus purchases to be electric by 2027, and for all the fleets to change over by 2035.
“I think the mandate is a very good idea," says Carr. "But at the same time, I know that school districts, which are essentially businesses, don’t like being told what to do.”
And voters so far are not ready to start the change either. Budget votes for even buying one electric bus, with incentives to mitigate the cost, have failed in Baldwinsville, Mexico and several other upstate school districts. Other districts will have such measures on ballots soon.
Carr’s pretty certain voters – and even district officials - aren’t getting the right information or advice.
“Voters should know that there’s tax credits directly to the district, direct rebates to the district," explains Carr. "There’s financial assistance to bring the electricity to the buildings for the chargers. National Grid will do a fleet study for free. … Take advantage of anything that’s free, and don’t be afraid to start small, but start.”
Some elected leaders are considering pushing back the mandate a few years. There are also concerns about the cost of charging and other infrastructure changes. Electric bus advocates however worry that every diesel bus bought in the next few years locks in 10-12 years of health- and climate-harming emissions.
You can hear more of Barry Carr’s comments about the electric bus issue on our latest Deeper Shade of Green Podcast, Benefits and Barriers of Electric School Buses as a Tool Against the Climate Crisis.
