Lawmakers criticized the state’s mandate to electrify trucks and school buses during a state hearing on the environment Tuesday, calling the electrification deadlines “unrealistic” and burdensome for businesses.
Heads of state environmental agencies, meanwhile, vowed to provide “flexibility” as lawmakers reported that manufacturers are struggling to reach the state’s zero-emissions goals.
“We are hearing from the light truck industry, also the auto industry... that they are trying to get there, but they don’t think in the time span, they physically can,” said state Sen. Pete Harckham, a Democrat from South Salem, Westchester County, who leads the Committee on Environmental Conservation.
“We’re mindful of the process to get there,” acknowledged Sean Mahar, interim commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation. Emphasizing that the state has been flexible, Mahar said that the administration is willing to reassess deadlines.
New York has set ambitious goals to electrify its public and passenger fleets in recent years as Gov. Kathy Hochul is eager to hit renewable energy and climate resilience goals. All newly sold light-duty passenger cars must produce zero emissions by 2035. For large trucks, that deadline is set for 2045, while school districts can only buy zero emissions school buses by 2027.
But several lawmakers, including Assemblymember Philip Palmesano, R-Corning, Stueben County, said there are delays to bringing the vision on paper into real life. Palmesano cited the slow-going effort to expand needed infrastructure.
“We don’t just need a pause in the enforcement. We need a delay in the implementation,” Palmesano said.
Pat Fahy, D-Albany, said even though she supported measures likesetting standards for trucks as they were being proposed, she shares similar “concerns.”
“I ... understand a lot of those were adopted when we thought we’d be further along on the infrastructure,” Fahy said in reference to battery charging stations infrastructure.
But Mahar reiterated that the governor’s commitment of $1 billion to clean energy spending and infrastructure efforts would help widen New York’s infrastructure capacity for electric cars.
“The governor’s commitment ... is going to stand up that infrastructure,” Mahar said. “It's going to help with that transition.”
Doreen Harris, who leads the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, said the agency has been working with over half of the school districts across the state to help electrify their bus fleets.
“We have more work to do, and we’ll continue to ramp up toward that outcome,” said Harris in response to concerns that the cost of new electric school buses could be too expensive for some schools.
The state estimates that as many as 3 million electric vehicles could be on New York’s roads by 2030.
