PUTNAM COUNTY- Members of the Garrison and Haldane Boards of Education have asked the New York State Public Service Commission to conduct a study inquiring whether utility companies will have the capability to support the electrification of fleets of school buses.
An uproar has been brewing among school districts and municipalities opposing New York State’s zero-emission bus mandate, which requires school districts to start buying zero-emission buses by 2027 and to completely phase out traditional buses by 2035.
Central Hudson Gas and Electric Company supplies electricity to western Putnam County.
Earlier this week the Kent Town Board approved a resolution calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul and members of the NYS Legislature urging that Albany “reconsider, amend or delay the implementation until such time as infrastructure, funding and reliability concerns are adequately addressed.”
While a resolution was drafted by the Putnam Valley Town Board the item was tabled for additional review.
Putnam County has additionally requested that the state reevaluate its position, as funding is needed for infrastructure necessary to safely implement the protocol including countywide charging stations, heated bus garages with charging stations and battery surplus storage in the event of battery failure.
The Brewster, Mahopac, Carmel and Putnam Valley School Districts have also expressed concerns.
The Haldane and Garrison school boards this week joined Beacon in signing a letter asking the state Public Service Commission to study whether electric utilities, including Central Hudson, will have the infrastructure in place to support the electrification of school bus fleets.
A state law adopted in 2022 requires that all school buses purchased after 2027 run on electricity and that all 45,000 gas-powered buses in New York be replaced by 2035. The letter was composed by the Lower Hudson Education Coalition, which represents 96 districts in Putnam, Dutchess and three other counties.
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