Sunday, March 16, 2025
The New York State Assembly introduced a bill that would allow local school districts to opt out of a new state law mandating the transition to electric school buses. Lawmakers argue that the measure, which requires districts to replace diesel buses with zero-emission models, presents significant energy and cost-related challenges.
Assemblywoman Judy Griffin, who represents Lynbrook and East Rockaway said that she is also exploring the feasibility of using revenue from school bus red light camera fines to help cover busing costs in general, including the potential funding of electric buses.
“I believe the timeline to transition to zero-emissions school buses needs to be reevaluated. Our local school districts have just been hit with a 30 percent increase in transportation costs due to increased insurance liabilities, shortage of drivers, increased costs and the anticipated purchase of electric buses.”
At a news conference on Jan. 28, the proposed Assembly and Senate bills were introduced. If passed, they would give school districts the option to apply for a waiver from the state’s commissioner of education, allowing them to bypass certain zero-emission bus requirements.
Under current law, starting in 2027, school districts in New York will be required to purchase electric school buses to replace traditional diesel models. The state offers transportation aid as partial reimbursement for bus purchases, but the new measure has raised concerns about its affordability.
A group of Republican state senators sent a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul, expressing concerns over the high costs of electric buses. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that the average new electric school bus costs approximately $400,000, compared to about $130,000 for traditional diesel buses.
Hochul defended the initiative in a statement. “It is not enough to encourage New Yorkers to buy electric — we must build green infrastructure that will drive New Yorkers to choose cleaner and greener modes of transportation.”
The push for electric school buses is part of New York's broader environmental goal of reaching 850,000 zero-emission vehicles by 2025, with plans for all new passenger vehicles to be electric by 2035. Critics of the mandate argue that electric buses cost two to four times more than traditional buses.
One analysis estimated that it could cost between $8 billion and $15.25 billion for school districts to transition their fleets from gas-powered to electric buses. Though these estimates do not include the costs of infrastructure and facility upgrades that would be needed to support these buses.
“I believe the timeline to transition to zero-emissions school buses needs to be reevaluated,” said Griffin. She expressed her concerns about the existing increased costs of transportation school districts face and is open to alternative ideas for funding this transition, along with other transportation related costs. “I don't believe that the measure to permit districts to simply opt out of the zero-emission bus transition meets the moment.”
— Additional reporting contributed by Ainsley Martinez
