GATES, N.Y. — Gates-Chili is leading the charge in transitioning to electric school buses, becoming the only local district to make significant progress toward New York’s state mandate for entirely electric fleets by 2035. The district has added 15 electric buses to its fleet, all funded by state grants.
READ MORE: Electric buses in Gates-Chili: How they perform in the cold and what it means for taxpayers
The average bus route in the dense suburban district is about 30 miles. So, the batteries have been holding up well enough in the cold temperatures, according to the director of transportation.
But other districts have been slow to get on board with the transition. They still have questions about range, cost, and a lack of power on the grid.
RELATED: News10NBC Investigates: Schools to state lawmakers: Fix electrical grid before electric buses mandates
NYSERDA has $500 million available to help districts cover the cost of a fleet electrification plan, buses, chargers and even the electricity itself.
“We will pay for at least 75%, if not 100%, of the cost of those studies,” says Adam Ruder, the director of Clean Transportation at NYSERDA
Jennifer Lewke (News10NBC): “When you’re doing these surveys, are you finding that in a lot of areas, a lot of school districts are going to need a lot more power to make this work?”
Adam Ruder: “Utilities in NYS did a survey of all of the districts and the site locations a year or so ago and what they found is about 75% of school district depots have enough power right now to electrify at least 10 buses…Most school districts can at least get started with the power that they have now. so, while yes there are going to be more power needs for many school districts and that does take some time, that’s why we think people should get started. We have the money available and are eager to see it go out the door.”
Jennifer Lewke: “I’m surprised to hear that the money that you have available is not taken yet. Do you think a lot of districts are waiting it out to see if there’s going to be a change in policy before they start this transition?”
Adam Ruder: “You know, I think I can’t speak for what their motives are, but we are seeing, as I said earlier, a lot of interest in doing the planning studies and some districts may be waiting to complete their planning study before they move forward.”
How do they perform in the winter?
Some districts may also be waiting to observe how electric buses perform, especially in winter, and whether the technology improves over time.
Jennifer Lewke: “In our area, some of our more rural districts have asked taxpayers for permission to start buying some of these buses and taxpayers have said no. What will happen if that continues?”
Adam Ruder: “That’s a question that is beyond what NYSERDA is able to answer.”
Other options
New York state requires all districts to purchase only zero-emission buses starting in mid-2027 and to fully transition by 2035. However, the governor has announced that districts can apply for two two-year extensions, which may be necessary if voter support remains elusive.
Jennifer Lewke: “I think it’s pretty obvious to everyone the benefits of an electric bus to the environment, but so many folks right now are living paycheck to paycheck, and they see utility costs are rising, and they worry about how this might translate into dollars and cents. Has NYSERDA or the state of New York done any study on whether the folks who already have electric buses in their rotation are seeing any savings from them charging versus buying the diesel?”
Adam Ruder: “We are looking, we’re constantly talking to the districts that have buses. One big thing that has changed very recently so it’s too soon to have numbers, but the utilities in the state just in October released a new rate structure specifically for electric vehicles that reduces some of the expensive components of the rates to make it more affordable for folks, especially who are just getting started with electric vehicles. So, we are encouraging schools to try and take advantage of these new rates that should be able to reduce their cost pretty significantly.”
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