However, we must at this time oppose the current mandate and timeline for zero-emission school buses (ZEB) in NYS.  The barriers, limitations, problems, and costs are becoming insurmountable – and they can no longer be overlooked.  Districts are having to choose between complying with this mandate or supporting the educational opportunities for their students. 

The Educational Conference Board, of which NYS PTA is Vice Chair, has detailed many of these barriers here: https://nyspta.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ecb-zero-emissions-school-bus-memo-01172025.pdf 

• Unlike consumer electric vehicles that have seen steep price declines, ZEBs cost anywhere from two to four times more than traditional internal combustion engine buses, and costs have not been going down. 
• Electrical capacity is not only a challenge for most districts, but is an insurmountable barrier. In response to an order from the Public Service Commission, the Joint Utilities of New York analyzed the current electrical capacity of every school bus depot in the state in their respective service areas. The findings were bleak – 15% of districts currently do not have the electrical capacity to support a single ZEB. 
• The state has not estimated the cost of the transition on a statewide basis. An estimate found that the cost would be between $8 and $15 billion (without infrastructure and facility upgrades), and the Rockefeller Institute’s recent Foundation Aid analysis found that NYS should “fully underwrite the costs of this state initiative to transition each local school district to an all-electric school bus fleet.” 
• According to manufacturers, the average range for ZEBs is about 150 miles. However, real world findings have fallen short of those claims. Estimates don't account for battery degradation (much like the batteries in our cell phones get less from the same charge over time, the batteries in ZEBs degrade over time), or the effects of cold weather or terrain on ZEB range. Findings of significant reductions in range, both with and without cold weather, have been found across the U.S. and Canada. 

NYS PTA Ask: Please consider repealing this mandate, and we stand ready to work together on a solution that can support our environment, students, and schools.