January 28, 2025
SEMPOLINSKI: EV SCHOOL BUS MANDATE UNWORKABLE
Calls for Governor to Delay or Scrap $20 Billion Mandate
ALBANY – Assemblyman Joe Sempolinski said New York’s requirement that school districts adopt electric school buses by 2027 is an unworkable and unaffordable $20 billion mandate that should be delayed or scrapped.
“Local taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for this this politically driven mandate. I am not opposed to taking steps to protect the environment, far from it. But what we do has to make sense logistically and financially,” Assemblyman Sempolinski said.
Under New York’s 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), school districts are prohibited from purchasing additional diesel buses starting in 2027 and all school buses must be zero-emission by 2035.
Assembly and Senate Republicans introduced legislation to delay the adoption of electric school buses until 2045 to give school districts time to adjust to the change. They have also called for a feasibility study and cost-benefit analysis to determine the potential costs for school districts and taxpayers.
Assemblyman Sempolinski also supports A.2005, a bill sponsored by Assemblyman Robert Smullen, which will allow school districts to submit a waiver to the Commissioner of Education allowing them to opt-out of certain zero-emission school bus requirements.
“Last year, Gov. Hochul announced $500 million to help school districts buy electric school buses. That sounds great until you find out it will cost $20 billion to replace all 40,000 diesel school buses now in use and build the charging infrastructure schools will need. If the governor and the Democrat majority stick to their 2027 deadline, those costs will be passed down to already struggling taxpayers,” Assemblyman Sempolinski said.
“New York’s property taxes are already among the highest in the country and those high taxes are a major reason why people are fleeing New York for more affordable states. In her State of the State address, Governor Hochul talked about making New York a more affordable place to live. She can do that by stopping unfunded mandates like this EV school bus order.”
New, diesel-powered 72-passenger school buses cost between $130,000 and $160,000. Equivalent electric school buses cost between $320,000 and $400,000. The electric buses are also heavier. A typical 72-passenger diesel school bus weighs 24,300 pounds. A 72-passenger electric bus weighs 36,000 pounds.
“School superintendents in Cattaraugus and Allegany counties have identified many bridges that aren’t rated for the weight of a 72-passenger electric bus. That means they will be forced to buy two smaller electric buses if they want to keep the same bus routes. Rural school districts across the state are facing the same issue. Rural school districts and rural taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for this incompetence,” Assemblyman Sempolinski said.
