Buried within the 2022 NYS Budget’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) is the requirement that every school bus purchase in districts across the state must be an electric, zero-emission vehicle beginning in 2027. This requirement by the state necessitates entire fleets of school buses to be all electric by 2035, setting an incredibly unrealistic goal.

On top of the countless other costs of living in New York, over the next few years Democrats in Albany are making taxpayers pick up the tab for replacing almost 45,000 diesel buses currently in rotation (according to estimates from the Empire Center). These buses would be swapped out by those costing almost 3 times as much, with the average EV bus costing about $400,000 each. The totals of this mandate are estimated to be between $8 and $15.25 billion. These extraordinary costs are enough to make anyone upset, even without considering the countless other problems these buses pose. From weather-related obstacles, reliability, and maintenance issues to the unfeasible burden on the energy grid. Why are we using our students as a test case for the lofty environmental goals of the state?

The state has not done anything to consider the countless issues school districts will face with........

© The Saratogian