NEW YORK — Together for Safer Roads (TSR), a global non-governmental organization dedicated to strengthening fleet safety, today announced the launch of a new FOCUS on Fleet Safety Food Bank Cohort, funded by TSR member Samsara Inc. (“Samsara”) (NYSE: IOT). The program will help food banks across the country improve fleet safety through training, peer support, and Samsara technology.
FOCUS on Fleet Safety is TSR’s signature workforce development program for fleets. Grounded in industry best practices and peer mentorship, FOCUS provides practical resources, benchmarking tools and peer learning to help organizations strengthen safety cultures and operations.
Through the FOCUS Food Bank Cohort, participants will learn from one another, identify shared challenges, and work together to build practical, scalable approaches to driver and fleet safety. The program will look beyond individual training to the systems, practices and safety culture surrounding the people who drive on behalf of these organizations.
“Food banks sustain communities, and their fleets make that mission possible,” said Peter Goldwasser, Executive Director at Together for Safer Roads. “The people behind the wheel are carrying out essential work every day, often across complex routes and under demanding conditions. Through this cohort, we can help protect the people carrying out that mission and everyone with whom they share the road.”
The program reflects the important role food banks play when communities face emergencies and other periods of increased need. Safer, more reliable fleet operations can help food banks protect drivers and vehicles, maintaining their ability to support communities.
“Transportation is an indispensable, and often less visible, part of the hunger-relief system,” said Eric Danko, Head of Global Public Policy and Government Affairs at Samsara. “The drivers doing this work provide millions of meals to people in need, and they deserve top safety programs and technology. We’re proud to support them.”
Through the FOCUS initiative, participating food banks will have the opportunity to access specific Samsara technology, tools and resources, including:
Real-time insights with Samsara Vehicle Gateways: Vehicle Gateways track vehicle location and engine health, so organizations know where vehicles are and what condition they’re in. This visibility can also improve routing and vehicle utilization.
Advanced safety technology with Samsara AI Dash Cams: AI Dash Cams warn drivers of hazards on the road, detect risky behaviors such as distracted driving, and help drivers react in the moment through in-cab alerts. Footage also enables managers to coach drivers from real events, helping them continue to improve for the long term.
The inaugural cohort spans organizations serving major metropolitan areas and rural regions across four states:
Houston Food Bank (Houston, Texas)
San Antonio Food Bank (San Antonio, Texas)
Central California Food Bank (Fresno, California)
Food Bank for the Heartland (Omaha, Nebraska)
Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan (Taylor, Michigan)
Insights from partner and participating organizations:
“Through our work with TSR implementing FOCUS, we’ve seen that lasting improvements in fleet safety come from giving organizations not only information, but the tools, training and support to put that knowledge into practice,” said Jesse Whitaker, Co-Founder / Chief Learning Strategist at Qworky. “We’re excited to bring that experience to this cohort and work with these food banks to strengthen the systems, skills and safety culture that support their drivers every day.”
“Our fleet connects the work happening inside our facilities with communities across a large and diverse region,” said Samantha Andrews, Sr. Director of Operations at the Houston Food Bank. “That responsibility becomes even more important when a hurricane or other emergency disrupts everyday life and families need help quickly. Participating in this cohort gives us an opportunity to learn alongside other food banks and strengthen the safety practices that protect our drivers, our communities and our ability to respond when people need us most.”
“Transportation is fundamental to our ability to meet people where they are, whether we are serving families every day or responding when a community is facing an emergency,” Manuel Lopez , Transportation Manager at San Antonio Food Bank. “Safe fleet operations protect our team and help ensure that food and essential resources can continue moving where they are needed. We look forward to sharing what we have learned and learning from the other food banks participating in this cohort.”
“Serving Central California means reaching neighbors across urban neighborhoods, small towns and rural agricultural communities throughout our 5-county service area, and transportation is critical to making that possible,” said Clinton Shimoi, Director of Operations at Central California Food Bank. “The cohort gives us an opportunity to strengthen the systems that keep our drivers safe, our fleet moving and nutritious food reaching the communities we serve, while learning alongside other organizations facing many of the same challenges. Ultimately, safer operations help us take better care of our team members and better serve our neighbors.”
“When you serve communities across 93 counties, safe and dependable transportation is essential to fulfilling your mission,” said Anthony Spindler, Transportation Manager at Food Bank for the Heartland. “Our drivers and vehicles help bridge enormous distances so food can reach neighbors who may otherwise have limited access to resources. This cohort gives us a valuable opportunity to work with peers on practical approaches that support our drivers, strengthen our operations and help us continue serving communities across the Heartland safely and reliably.”
“Safety and compliance are at the heart of everything we do in transportation. At Gleaners, our fleet is a critical part of making sure nutritious food gets where it needs to go safely and reliably,” said Stan Wise, Transportation Manager at Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan. “This cohort is a great opportunity to learn from other food banks, share what we’ve learned through our own operations, and find practical ways to make our fleets safer and more efficient. What we learn together can have an impact well beyond our individual organizations.”
Find out More about the FOCUS on Fleet Safety Program at TSR’s website.
About Together for Safer Roads
Together for Safer Roads (TSR) is a leading international NGO focused on building cross-sector partnerships to enhance fleet safety. TSR leverages the technology, data, and expertise of the private sector to create innovative programs aimed at preventing traffic crashes, injuries, and fatalities around the world. TSR members include some of the largest and most influential fleets globally, as well as best-in-class road safety technology companies. Learn more at togetherforsaferroads.org.
About Samsara
Samsara (NYSE: IOT) is the pioneer of the Connected Operations Platform, which is an open platform that connects the people, devices, and systems of some of the world’s most complex operations, allowing them to develop actionable insights and improve their operations. With tens of thousands of customers across North America and Europe, Samsara is a proud technology partner to the people who keep our global economy running, including the world’s leading organizations across industries in transportation, construction, wholesale and retail trade, field services, logistics, manufacturing, utilities and energy, government, healthcare and education, food and beverage, and others. The company’s mission is to increase the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of the operations that power the global economy.
Samsara is a registered trademark of Samsara Inc. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.
School bus service was disrupted after multiple buses were reportedly vandalized at a contractor Durham School Services’ transportation lot over the holiday weekend, reported CBS News.
The Schenectady Police Department said Tuesday that officers responded at approximately 5:40 a.m. after Durham officials reported that multiple school buses had been damaged at its facility.
At least two school buses at the lot reportedly had damaged windows with what appeared to be impact marks, possibly caused by rocks or another object. Police said the vandalism likely occurred sometime during the holiday weekend.
According to the news report, the Schenectady City School District described the damage as severe and said it affected Durham’s entire fleet, preventing the transportation contractor from operating its regularly scheduled morning routes.
The district reportedly notified families of the disruption Tuesday morning and advised parents and guardians that morning transportation would be unavailable. It did not immediately specify how many buses were damaged, how many routes were affected, or the estimated cost of repairs.
Despite the morning cancellations, the district said Durham would provide afternoon transportation for all students who normally receive school bus service.
All after-school programs were also expected to operate as scheduled, with transportation available to participating students.
However, the district warned families that buses could arrive later than usual because of the vandalism and resulting operational changes. “We are asking for your patience as buses may be arriving at stops later than expected,” the district stated via the article.
The Schenectady Police Department is investigating the incident. No information about potential suspects or arrests was immediately available.
The district did not indicate whether surveillance footage captured the vandalism or whether additional buses would be brought in to restore normal service. It also had not announced whether regular morning routes were expected to resume Wednesday.
Families were encouraged to monitor communications from the district for additional transportation updates. Further information about the investigation and the extent of the fleet damage was not immediately released.
A 4-year-old student was dragged approximately 15 feet by a Cato-Meridian Central School District bus in New York after her backpack became caught in the door as the vehicle began moving, highlighting the importance of safety in the danger zone, especially as School Bus Safety Week approaches this month.
According to New York State Police the incident occurred Sept. 23. Investigators determined that the child’s backpack remained caught in the door after she exited the bus and that the driver traveled approximately 15 feet before realizing what had happened and stopping.
The student was not injured, State Police said.
Donna Cooper, the child’s grandmother and legal guardian, told local news reporters that she was waiting outside the family’s home on Follett Road when her granddaughter, Riley, arrived home from school.
Cooper said the bus doors closed after Riley stepped outside while her backpack was still caught inside. She and her husband ran after the bus and screamed for the driver to stop. The bus eventually stopped between their driveway and the next driveway, she said.
“The bus driver closes the door, catches her backpack in the door and then just drives right away, dragging her,” Cooper told the news outlet.
Cooper recalled watching Riley attempt to move forward before the bus pulled away.
“All I see is her face when the door closed,” Cooper said. “I’m watching it in slow motion and I can see her trying to step forward. But then the bus takes off and just the look on her face.”
Cooper said the driver briefly apologized but did not exit the bus to check on Riley. The family took the prekindergarten student to an urgent care facility, which confirmed that she had not been physically injured.
Riley’s grandfather called 911 and later met State Police at the school. State Police told School Transportation News that investigators reviewed video of the incident and spoke with those involved. The school district was notified and began its own administrative investigation.
“Following a review of the circumstances, no criminal charges will be filed,” State Police said. “The Cayuga County District Attorney’s Office also reviewed the incident and declined prosecution.”
The district has not publicly disclosed the driver’s employment status, citing restrictions on discussing individual personnel matters. Riley’s family told local reporters that the driver had not returned to the route following the incident.
In a statement provided to local news reporters, the district said student safety and well-being remain its highest priority. The district said it was reviewing the circumstances, cooperating with law enforcement and had procedures in place to prevent another occurrence.
“We remain deeply committed to ensuring every child arrives home safely each day,” the district stated.
STN contacted the district for its official statement and additional information about the driver’s status and the preventive procedures but did not receive a response as of publication.
Cooper questioned why school bus doors do not use sensors that prevent them from closing when an object is caught between them, similar to systems used on elevators and automatic doors. Several companies have displayed such technology at STN EXPO trade shows, though adoption is minimal.
“My main goal here is I want awareness brought to this,” Cooper said. “I mean, both my husband and I have done a lot of research online, and this happens a lot, way more than it should. And nobody’s talking about it.”
A Thursday webinar sponsored by Scraper Systems examined the safety and operational costs of clearing snow from school bus rooftops and shared tools districts can use to calculate whether automated snow removal makes financial sense.
New York School District Shares Success
For Daniel Boyea, assistant director of transportation at Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central School District near Albany, New York, rooftop snow removal comes down to more than clearing buses after a storm. It affects employee safety, route reliability, overtime and the students waiting for those buses to arrive.
Boyea, a 25-year student transportation veteran, currently helps oversee a 53-bus fleet that transports about 2,200 students a day. At his previous district, a larger 217-bus operation, he saw firsthand how quickly manual snow removal costs could add up.
“Before the purchase of the snowscraper, it would cost us about $10,000 per snowstorm to remove the snow,” Boyea said. “So that’s mechanics coming in on overtime, dispatchers, anybody that can help out.”
With the Albany area averaging about six significant snowfalls of 3 inches or more each year, Boyea noted that those costs could reach roughly $60,000 annually. After the district adopted an automated scraper, “We were able to cut that cost in half,” he shared.
“Just six inches of wet, heavy snow equates to around 3,600 pounds, or close to two tons, of additional weight that you’re going to be carrying with you on the road if you don’t take care of that snow on top of the bus.”
- Michael Shelton, Business Development Manager, Scraper Systems
Boyea said the change also reduced the physical toll on employees. Manual roof rakes required employees to work around snow-covered buses and could lead to shoulder and back injuries or slips and falls.
“We already have a large driver shortage, so we really don’t need any more injuries,” he quipped.
The operational impact can extend to students and families. Boyea recalled that routes commonly ran late when employees had to use roof rakes to clear buses of snow.
“Starting your route on time, picking the students up on time, and getting the kids to the school on time is critical,” he emphasized.
“[The snow scraper] greatly increased our efficiency in our transportation operation, at both districts that I was with,” he confirmed.
Winter Safety Risks
Operationally, Boyea urged transportation departments to consider what happens after a school bus leaves the yard. Snow sliding forward can cover mirrors, while rooftop accumulation can fall onto the roadway.
“You have to plan for the safety of everyone, whether it’s your staff, your students, and you also have to think about the public,” he said.
Jackie Germer, inside sales representative for Scraper Systems, recalled speaking with a transportation director who recalled the danger he encountered when snow and ice flew off another vehicle and into the windshield of the school bus he was driving.
“Fortunately, he and the students [were] all safe,” Germer said. “But he told me that it made him really consider the fact that if it happened to him, it could happen because of him.”
Michael Shelton, business development manager for Scraper Systems, said a poll found 60 percent of webinar registrants were manually removing rooftop snow with ice rakes, while slightly more than 20 percent reported doing nothing.
“Safety is the main focus,” Shelton said. “What’s the most important aspect of all of this? Well, it’s having our kids get to school safely and on time.”
Illustrating how less-obvious expenses can accumulate, he calculated $18,554 in annual labor and waiting-driver costs for a 50-bus fleet experiencing five snow events a year. Additionally, he estimated that a fleet of idling buses can consume 25 gallons of fuel per hour while waiting to be cleared. That’s not to mention worker’s compensation claims or hidden issues like fines, absences and fleet delays.
“Just six inches of wet, heavy snow equates to around 3,600 pounds, or close to two tons, of additional weight that you’re going to be carrying with you on the road if you don’t take care of that snow on top of the bus,” Shelton said.
“We want to quantify it for you because that’s what we’re here to talk about,” he summarized.
Germer also noted that rooftop snow can affect liability, compliance, efficiency and employee morale. The presentation identified several U.S. states and Canadian provinces with specific rooftop snow-removal legislation.
Finn Livingston, director of product management for Scraper Systems, said districts should evaluate four factors when comparing snow-removal methods: Safety, cost, efficiency and reliability.
“Whatever method you use for rooftop snow removal, these four key points need to be considered: safety, cost, efficiency, and reliability,” Livingston said.
He said the company’s automated rooftop snow removal system clears a bus roof in about 30 seconds. Its medium-duty model is designed for fleets of up to 80 buses per day, while its heavy-duty model can accommodate up to 400.
Comparing manual and automated snow removal methods, he estimated annual time, labor and idling-fuel savings ranging from $15,040 for 50 vehicles to $46,433 for 150 vehicles. Depending on climate, fleet size and equipment cost, the examples showed potential payback periods of one to two years, though the presentation cautioned that actual results will vary.
“The calculator is a way for you to evaluate the cost of your operation today and make decisions about the value of automation for your operation in the future,” Livingston said. “Operational benefits [include] getting your busses ready faster, fewer delays, and more predictable winter operations.”
The new school year has begun in the Empire State, and local school districts and bus companies have an additional five years to transition to all-electric fleets. But transportation leaders and policymakers say the clock is still ticking on major funding and infrastructure challenges that could make or break the ambitious mandate.
As part of the 2027 fiscal year budget passed in May, lawmakers extended the deadline for full compliance with New York’s electric school bus mandate from 2035 to 2040 and the requirement for all new school bus purchases to be zero-emission from 2027 to 2032. The move is widely viewed as a necessary reset for the nation’s largest school transportation system, but sources caution that time alone won’t solve the structural barriers districts face in electrifying their fleets.
“It’s great that both parts of the legislation were moved down five years, but the looming questions weren’t answered, and the school districts still have so many questions that the contractors really can’t answer,” said Corey Muirhead, executive vice president for New York City contractor Logan Bus. “They still don’t understand how the state funding is going to work and how they’re going to get reimbursed.”
A First Step, Not a Finish Line
For years, the state’s three primary school transportation associations—the New York Association for Pupil Transportation (NYAPT), New York School Bus Contractors Association (NYSBCA) and New York State Bus Distributors Association (NYSBDA)—have warned that the mandate, as originally written, was moving faster than the market, utilities and school budgets could reasonably support.
“Over the past five years, New York’s school transportation industry…has collaborated closely with Gov. [Kathy] Hochul’s administration and state lawmakers,” said lobbyist Andre Claridge, who represents NYAPT and the NYSBDA and formerly worked with the NYSBCA. “We have kept state leaders updated on our progress toward meeting the electric school bus mandate while highlighting the significant challenges faced by local school districts and industry partners.”
Claridge called the five-year extension “a welcome first step,” but stressed that the law’s language “leaves no room for innovation and requires revision.” He and other industry leaders are pushing for not only extended timelines, but increased state investment and regulatory flexibility that would allow other zero- and near-zero-emission technologies to count toward compliance.
“We opposed the mandate from the beginning and advocated for no mandate or a more realistic timeline. Finally, they heard us,” commented David Christopher, executive director of NYAPT. “We are now looking at how we will lobby going forward, because five years will go by quickly, and we need to provide realistic transition plans for the legislature to consider. Hopefully they will listen.”
Tim Flood, executive vice president for New York school bus contractor The Trans Group, said the compliance delay offers a little relief but noted the challenges “are still very real and numerous.”
“I think there will be changes to the mandate. I certainly hope there will be,” he continued, citing a belief that ongoing negotiations will add more delays between now and 2032. “But at this point and time, we have to move forward as it is exactly how it is.”
The new deadline could also be impacted by upcoming political election cycles, he added.
Meanwhile, the extension could provide breathing room to build out a more data-driven, district-by-district, company-by-company approach.
An electric Type A school bus operated by Trans Group company Educational Bus Transportation, Inc. on Long Island, New York.
Where Electric Buses Prove Viable Is a Diverse Playing Field
“There is no category of district based on what we’ve seen where an electric school bus is inherently not viable,” said Alok Disa, senior advisor for the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) clean transportation team.
NYSERDA is tasked by the state legislature with awarding funds to districts for purchasing electric school buses and related infrastructure as well as developing electrification plans for fleets. Disa pointed to real-world operations in rural, suburban and urban communities based on the organization’s experience work with school districts across the state.
About 50,000 school buses of all fuel types operate across New York. The split between large school buses and Type A “vans” is about 60-40.
Disa explained that more than 350 electric school buses are currently registered in New York state, up from roughly 250 to 275 the previous year, and 54 school districts currently have at least one electric school bus deployed. The World Resource Institute’s Electric School Bus Initiative says the number is more like 561 ESBs deployed in New York, with over 1,200 in the pipeline or “committed” to a school district or bus company through state or federal funding.
Despite the figures, most electric school buses operate outside New York City, countering the perception that electrification is only advancing in dense urban markets, Disa noted.
Early data from NYSERDA’s work with school districts on the fleet electrification planning program suggests that approximately 80 percent of routes statewide fall within the range today’s electric school buses can handle, once reasonable safety margins and cold-weather performance are factored in. In general, Disa said NYSERDA estimates that roughly 70 to 80 miles per day is the typical working range for many morning and afternoon home-to-school routes, even in cold regions such as the Adirondacks, Western New York and the Finger Lakes.
“We recommend that districts begin their electric school bus transition with some of their a.m./p.m. routes…rather than starting with extracurricular or longer trips,” he said, adding that districts operating buses in severe winter conditions have largely been able to keep those vehicles in service with appropriate planning and protocols.
Challenging Case in Point
In addition to being the transportation director for Naples Central School District, located about an hour drive southeast of Rochester, Pat Elwell also owns personal electric vehicles. That led him to push the district to apply for the first round of EPA Clean School Bus Program funding in 2022, around the same time the state legislature passed the electric mandate.
Elwell is also a bus mechanic, so his attention was finely tuned to how the ESBs would operate once the first two were delivered in March 2024. The district also has an electric Chevrolet Equinox used for students served by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
“Our first issue came right out of the gate when our Level 2 chargers were taking 17-plus hours to charge our buses,” he shared with STN. “Working with the charger company, and getting a crash course in charger programing, we were able to fix this problem to where they [now] charge up within six to eight hours.”
Otherwise, he said maintenance has been “negligible,” though brake inspection intervals had to be cut in half to six months or 6,000 miles.
“I received a frantic radio transmission one morning from the driver that she smelled a burning smell on the bus. When the bus made it to the transportation facility, I quickly found that the smell was from the right front brake,” recounted Elwell, who is also the president of NYAPT’s Wayne-Finger Lakes chapter. “Turns out that with one pedal drive the drivers do not use the brakes much, therefore the pads had seized in the caliper bracket.”
While he said the ESBs only need one daily charge to operate all in-district and the one out-of-district route in 40- and 50-degree spring temperatures, an obvious challenge has been heating the ESBs in winter. Elwell said he learned the 10kWh heat pumps originally installed were too small for the cabin heating system. Even then, issues have remained.
“Working with the engineers at IC Bus they came to the conclusion that a 20-kWh pump should fix this problem,” he explained. “We did swap them out, and the difference in heat and battery consumption was significantly better. Fast forward to winter 2026, with sustained temps in the single digits and below zero, and the buses could not produce heat to be able to operate the buses safely and comfortably. Therefore, we moved the runs to diesel buses.”
He added that a repeated test of winter-time range in January and February 2025 documented the need for mid-day charging to complete back-to-back runs within the district service area, “which still holds true to this day,” he said.
The longest Naples routes are 80 miles round trip per day, Elwell continued, with the average morning and afternoon routes being 29 miles. In addition to the two EVs, the fleet currently consists of 13 diesel Type C school buses, six gasoline Type A vans, three SUVs, and a sedan.
“We currently use diesel/gasoline buses for out-of-district routes and field/athletic trips as the ESBs do not have the range,” he added.
So far, he said he has calculated a cost of around $0.57 per mile/kWh for his ESBs and $0.65 per mile for diesel. He added that he has been working with NYSERDA to develop a better formula.
Meanwhile, there’s the issue of support. It was only a couple of years ago Lion Electric filed for bankruptcy protection and was then acquired by Montreal investors, with the caveat that the electric school bus line would only be sold and serviced in Quebec. Other players in the segment have also fallen by the wayside, which creates concern for long-term customer support and warranty coverage.
“Some of those chassis, those companies aren’t even in business anymore, and I think that’s going to be one of the challenges,” commented Trans Group’s Flood. “Maybe not as much in the vehicles but in charging stations, in charging software. There are a lot of options, but how many are going to be there three, four or five years from now?”
“We don’t find a problem with electric buses because we are lucky enough to be in a location with sufficient power and have routes that are relatively short … [W]e’ve never had a bus where the batteries have been drained fully,” commented CEO Matt Berlin. “We are not worried about someone being stranded in the middle of rural New York. In the worst case, they’re in the middle of Queens.”
Berlin added that if NYCSBUS was running 100 ESBs, it might be a different story.
New York City formed the non-profit NYCSBUS in 2021 after acquiring the assets of school bus contractor Reliant Transportation. NYCSBUS operates a fleet of over 900 school buses with 888 routes. Twenty-nine of the school buses are electric. All so far are Type A’s consisting of 22 Micro Birds, six Type A Collins Bus (five with Lightning eMotors electric drives and one with a Motiv), and a RIDE Achiever.
As of the new school year, Berlin said the average daily route any school bus travels a day is 65 miles, which is normally within range of an ESB. A quarter of the 888 daily routes are 30 miles or shorter.
“We are not putting our EVs on every single route. We’re lucky that the city is compact,” he explained, adding that ESBs aren’t currently used on longer routes from Queens to New Jersey. “We’re lucky that regenerative braking benefits urban driving more than rural.”
He said the 29 Type A ESBs cost $0.13 per mile to operate, compared to $0.45 per mile for gasoline ($4.10 per gallon and 9 mpg) and $1 per mile for diesel ($6 per gallon and 6 mpg).
Like elsewhere in the state, Berlin said winter temperatures impact the range. He added that a proprietary route planning tool calculates which routes are best served by an ESB or an internal-combustion bus. The set goal is to return the former to the depot with a 20-percent charge remaining each day.
He also is looking at the viability of adding repowered school buses with electric batteries.
“We think the promise of repowering is terrific, if it worked right, and we haven’t seen it work. But if it did, it would cut the [purchase] price by a third,” he added. “Not to mention create jobs in New York City and train another generation of mechanics in how to work with these vehicles.”
Billions Still Needed for Buses and Charging
While route viability is trending positive, at least in some areas, dollars remain a major sticking point.
“It’s a massive capital outlay to reach this goal for many folks,” observed Flood at Trans Group. “For us as contractors, for school districts, whether they’re operating their own [fleet] or contracting or a combination of both, allocating or acquiring the capital to do those things … it’s just a challenge.”
Logan Bus’s Muirhead noted that new purchase costs of ESBs, could range from 30-percent to as high as 70-percent more than an internal combustion engine bus, putting school districts between a rock and a hard place.
“A school transportation’s budget was $2 million, and now it goes to $5 million?” he asked. “The way that I understand state reimbursement is that the district has to fund that $5 million, and then at the end of the year they get reimbursed by the state. This [is] the biggest elephant in the room that’s not addressed.”
Lobbyist Claridge said the industry has consistently told state leaders that fully funding the transition, “covering the billions required for new buses, charging infrastructure and power grid capacity,” he shared, is essential if New York is to convert what is “arguably the largest land-based mass transit system in the nation.”
Without that, he warned, the mandate risks outpacing realistic district budgets.
Another issue is the additional parking space needed for ESBs based on charging needs. Berlin said the NYCSBUS yard would need to be 25-percent larger to park ESBs with traditional bollards and in-ground chargers.
“That is certainly an issue for us. It is an additional cost of these vehicles,” he said. “It requires more parking, which is more space, and you know in New York City that’s expensive.”
He added NYCBUS has considered overhead chargers, portable charger carts and even induction or wireless charging.
So far, NYSERDA administers $500 million from the state Bond Act through the New York School Bus Incentive Program, with another $100 million added in the state budget, for a total of $600 million earmarked specifically for electric school buses and associated infrastructure.
Disa said that when NYSERDA incentives are combined with State Education Department aid formulas, “for a lot of districts…inclusive of the charging costs, it can be the equivalent, or even it can be cheaper to acquire an electric school bus than a diesel or combustion bus right now,” with no additional local tax impact.
Still, those funds represent the early days of a far longer and more expensive transition. With roughly 50,000 school buses operating statewide, and only a fraction on the road being electric or in the pipeline, tens of thousands of vehicles will still need to be replaced by 2040. Claridge argued that even with the extension, “meeting these goals will ultimately require additional time, state investment and flexibility.”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is expected to announce the return of the Clean School Bus Program by next month. Nearly $2.5 billion must still be awarded nationwide. How much will go to New York school districts and bus companies remains to be seen.
Three electric school buses operated by school bus contractor Logan Bus in New York City.
Utilities and Infrastructure: ‘Early and Often’ Engagement
Beyond fleet costs, infrastructure and utility partnerships may pose the steepest near-term challenges for school districts and contractors.
“One of the critical elements that distinguish an electric school bus deployment compared to a traditional combustion bus is you do have to have a couple new stakeholders in the room, and one of those is your electric utility,” Disa said. “We recommend until we’re blue in the face that you’ve got to start talking to your electric utility early and often.”
Through NYSERDA-funded fleet electrification plans, school districts like Naples CSD are working with engineering firms to assess route energy needs, depot capacity, interconnection timelines and likely utility bill impacts. Disa said many districts currently have enough available capacity to support at least a few buses while longer-term upgrades are planned and financed, but those efforts take time and coordination.
Infrastructure upgrades are Naples CSD’s “biggest hurdle,” Elwell added. He said the district currently has adequate electricity for adding one more ESB to the fleet before utility provider NYSEG will need to upgrade the transmission line.
Claridge noted that utilities and the broader grid are central to whether the mandate can be implemented on the ground. “Fully transitioning [to electric buses] is impossible without adequate power grid capacity, charging infrastructure and funding,” he said.
Disa again pointed to NYSERDA’s fleet electrification plans led by consultants to help.
“These plans receive input from utilities, which can help determine infrastructure needs and next steps,” he explained.
For example, First Student announced Tuesday it is partnering with Con Edison and NYSERDA to demonstrate First Charge, the school bus contractor’s above-ground charging infrastructure. The organizations claim that installation could reduce infrastructure costs by 20 percent through less construction.
First Student is adding 40 ESBs in New York and is considering expanded solar and creating a smart energy hub.
“Deploying electric school buses at scale requires more than vehicles. It requires the right infrastructure, technology and utility partnership,” said Kevin Matthews, head of electrification at First Student. “Working with Con Edison, we’ve demonstrated a more efficient approach that can help overcome some of the cost and construction challenges that have traditionally made fleet electrification difficult in dense urban environments.”
Con Ed and NYSERDA are funding the project, which includes six bus vouchers through the New York School Bus Incentive Program and four retrofit buses.
Third-Party Testing and Policy Uncertainty
Another unresolved issue is a state law passed in last year’s budget requiring independent third-party testing of electric school bus range on specific routes and under varying conditions—a provision Claridge and other stakeholders describe as “overly complex” and disconnected from market realities.
Claridge said NYSERDA “continues to grapple with the implementation of this overly complex legislation,” and that the working group tasked with developing a regulatory framework “appears to have stalled” due to the law’s lack of clarity and practicality. He characterized the agency as “attempting to fit a square peg into a round hole.”
Disa said NYSERDA is using empirical fleet data and route planning results to answer the core questions lawmakers raised, such as how climate and terrain affect electric range. He noted NYSERDA convened a working group of industry stakeholders last September to help identify information that could benefit school bus operators and support industry stakeholders in finding their own paths to compliance.
‘Not a Time to Sit Back and Wait’
Everyone agrees that, despite the five-year extension, school districts cannot afford to wait.
Claridge emphasized that while the electric school bus mandate “has clear value,” the current policy framework “requires revision” to create space for innovation and realistic funding mechanisms.
Disa framed the extension as an opportunity for districts to move from planning to pilots and then to scale deployments, not as a pause button.
“Even though there is some extra time … it’s not a time to sit back and wait for years to elapse,” he said.
Districts that haven’t started a fleet plan should begin now, he added, while those with plans in hand should work with NYSERDA to get their first buses on the road and then scale up.
NYAPT’s Christopher said two important challenges remain.
“School districts vote on their budgets here, so regardless of the state mandates, if local district residents say no, buses are not purchased. This remains unresolved to date, putting a district in an untenable situation,” he explained. “Secondly, we have multiple utility companies operating in the state, and they all do business differently. It’s difficult for a school district or NYERSDA, for that matter, to sort through all the different rules and processes each utility follows in order to build out infrastructure.
“There needs to be more coordination and more attention to districts that need infrastructure built out if the mandate holds in five years,” he continued. “Districts need certainty from utilities regarding costs and timelines to secure voter approval and funding. It’s complicated to say the least.”
BROOKLYN, N.Y., – First Student, North America’s largest student transportation services provider backed by EQT Infrastructure, and Con Edison, today announced the completion of the first phase of an electric school bus project serving the New York City Department of Education. The project brings together electric school buses, First Student’s First Charge infrastructure solution, advanced bi-directional charging technology, and a cost-effective approach to fleet electrification in one of the nation’s most complex urban environments.
“We’re incredibly proud of the work we’re doing with Con Edison and the progress we’re making together to advance electric school bus transportation,” said John Kenning, CEO and President of First Student. “Our mission is to provide the safest, most reliable, and efficient ride to school, so that students arrive ready to learn and achieve their full potential. Living that mission means continuing to live our values, including setting the highest standards for student transportation. Safety will always be at the heart of everything we do, and we’re proud to pair that commitment with innovation that is improving the sustainability of student transportation.”
At the center of the project is First Charge, First Student’s innovative trenchless, modular charging infrastructure solution that reduces costs and accelerates time to market. By avoiding traditional underground trenching, the installation reduced infrastructure construction costs by 13% while minimizing construction complexity and disruption, an especially important advantage in dense urban environments like New York City.
“Con Edison supports innovation to help make transitioning to electric vehicles affordable for our customers,” said Vicki Kuo, senior vice president of Customer Energy Solutions at Con Edison. “Eliminating the need to bury the service line to these chargers lowers the upfront costs for First Student and is a strategy that other fleet owners can replicate to save money and complete projects more quickly. Replacing inefficient, fossil fuel-powered buses with vehicles that produce no tailpipe emissions will help keep our region sustainable.”
Con Edison and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) contributed funding for the project. The funding included six bus vouchers awarded through NYSERDA’s New York School Bus Incentive Program through First Student’s school bus manufacturer, International, as well as funding for four retrofit buses.
This project is also exploring ways to decrease energy costs for fleets. Using advanced load management software, the electric school buses charge during off-peak hours when energy is less expensive, not only decreasing complexity but also ensuring energy is used efficiently.
First Student is continuing to expand its electrification operations in New York with the addition of 40 new electric school buses. First Student is also considering additional initiatives at its Brooklyn facilities, including expanded solar use and the creation of a smart energy hub.
NYSERDA is supporting the purchase of six electric school buses for this project through the New York School Bus Incentive Program and through First Student’s vendor, International, and four retrofit buses through the New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program.
“This project is exactly the kind of critical infrastructure investment to which EQT is committed across our portfolio – pairing patient, long-term capital with practical innovation that strengthens energy security and accelerates the shift to cleaner transportation,” said Crosby Cook, Partner at EQT Infrastructure. “First Student’s work with Con Edison demonstrates that the right partnership between fleet operators and utilities can make electrification more affordable and scalable.”
“Electric school buses offer a healthier, quieter transportation experience for students while reducing pollution in the communities they serve,” said New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Doreen M. Harris. “Projects like this demonstrate how thoughtful planning, innovative charging solutions, and strong partnerships can help lower costs and accelerate the deployment of electric school buses in New York City and across the state.”
“Deploying electric school buses at scale requires more than vehicles; it requires the right infrastructure, technology, and utility partnership,” said Kevin Matthews, Head of Electrification at First Student. “Working with Con Edison, we’ve demonstrated a more efficient approach that can help overcome some of the cost and construction challenges that have traditionally made fleet electrification difficult in dense urban environments.”
During the 2025-26 school year, First Student operated approximately 490 electric school buses, with more than 550 additional vehicles on order. The company has surpassed 11.2 million miles driven in electric buses.
About First Student
First Student, the leading student transportation services provider in North America, safely transports millions of students across the U.S. and Canada each day. With a fleet of more than 48,000 vehicles and a workforce of highly trained drivers, the company partners with school districts, divisions, and boards to deliver safe, reliable, and efficient transportation solutions that families can depend on. Recognized as a CIO 100 Award winner and named to the TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2026 list, First Student provides a range of transportation services, including special-needs transportation, routing and fleet management, vehicle electrification, maintenance services, and charter transportation. Through its proprietary HALO technology platform, First Student is helping shape the future of student transportation by integrating safety, operations, maintenance, workforce management, and customer communications into one intelligent transportation ecosystem that enhances safety, improves operational performance, and creates a more connected transportation experience for students and families. Learn more at https://firststudentinc.com
A family dog turned the first day of school into an unexpected adventure after escaping from his home and boarding a school bus in Farmington, New York, reported Today News.
According to the news report, Ashley Miller had promised her daughter, Madelyn, a 10th grader, that she would remain inside while Madelyn and her brother, Parker, a seventh grader, boarded the bus at about 7 a.m.
Madelyn reportedly considered having her mother at the bus stop embarrassing. Miller’s husband, Jason, was upstairs secretly recording the children as they prepared to leave for school.
However, the family’s 1-year-old golden retriever, Finley, disrupted those plans.
Miller opened the front door as the school bus approached the family’s cul-de-sac, and the 83-pound family dog slipped between her legs. Finley ran directly toward the bus and climbed aboard, where he was greeted by students eager to pet him.
Miller, a pediatric emergency room nurse, chased Finley while barefoot and wearing pajamas. She followed him onto the bus and attempted to remove him from the aisle, according to her comments to local news reporters.
Because Finley was not wearing his collar, Miller grabbed a portion of his fur and carefully pulled him backward before escorting him down the bus steps.
The bus driver reportedly embraced the unexpected interruption. Miller described him as cheerful and said he had been greeting students through the bus’s exterior speaker. “Good morning, Finley,” the driver announced after the dog boarded.
Jason captured the entire incident on video without his wife’s knowledge. He was reportedly laughing when Miller returned to the house after directing Finley back into the yard.
Parker also found the situation funny, while Madelyn was horrified that her mother had boarded the bus in her pajamas.
“I think I lost five years of my life on the first day of school,” Miller said. “I’m still recovering.”
New York City has installed 15 mph “School Slow Zones” at more than 200 school locations as officials move toward lowering speed limits around every eligible school across the five boroughs.
The New York City Department of Transportation (NCYDOT) expects to install roughly 800 of the School Slow Zones by the end December, according to a Sept. 9 announcement from Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office. The work represents the first year of the administration’s commitment to expand the zones under Sammy’s Law.
The city announced in March 800 additional school locations with 15 mph speed limit postings this year, increasing the citywide total to approximately 1,300. The long-term plan calls for establishing the lower limits at all 2,300 eligible school locations by the end of Mamdani’s first term, or Jan. 1, 2030. Those locations house about 3,200 public, private, parochial and charter schools, including schools that share campuses.
“Every student deserves to feel safe when they make their way to school, and every parent deserves the same peace of mind,” Mamdani said in the statement.
NYCDOT officials said about 700 locations with existing 20 mph School Slow Zones will be reduced to 15 mph, while approximately 100 new zones will be established at schools where the current limit is 25 mph. The agency is prioritizing locations using safety data and coordinating the work with other planned street improvements.
Each proposed speed limit change requires a 60-day notice and comment period for the local community board. The city may also add speed humps, intersection treatments and other design features intended to slow vehicles at locations considered particularly dangerous.
City officials said a pedestrian struck at 25 mph is more than three times as likely to suffer a serious injury as someone struck at 15 mph. DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn said even a small speed reduction can affect whether a crash becomes fatal.
Legislation Created School Slow Zones
The initiative follows the passage of Sammy’s Law in 2024, which granted New York City authority to establish speed limits below 25 mph. The law is named for Sammy Cohen Eckstein, a 12-year-old who was fatally struck by a driver in Brooklyn in 2013.
The city is also preparing to install its first gated Open Street outside a school. The swing-arm gate will be placed this month on Clarkson Street between Hudson and Varick streets in Tribeca. It will allow the block to close temporarily to vehicles for recess, outdoor learning, student pickup, and drop-off.
The Clarkson Street redesign will add public seating, expand pedestrian space, improve crossings and visibility, and encourage drivers to reduce their speed. The city is completing the project with City-As-School High School, M.S. 721, and Open Plans.
Clarkson Street is one of 77 Open Streets at schools launching for the 2026-2027 academic year. The program allows participating schools to temporarily close streets to vehicle traffic.
Flynn said Open Streets can provide children with outdoor areas for learning and playing while creating calmer pickup and drop-off periods for families.
The gated street is among safety redesigns planned for near more than 300 schools this year. Other projects include pedestrian and bicycle improvements benefiting more than 10 Bronx schools and permanent upgrades to school Open Streets on Beaumont Avenue in the Bronx and Avenue B in Manhattan.
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. and PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – After a competitive review process, Transfinder Corporation is pleased to announce The School District of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania has selected Transfinder’s award-winning routing solution Routefinder PLUS to create the safest and most efficient routes for its students.
The School District of Philadelphia is the eighth largest school district in the United States. The district has a student enrollment of 198,405 who attend 330 different schools. As the district was looking for an integrated all-in-one technology platform that would avoid the need for multiple vendors and systems and provide a single source of information, Transfinder rose to the top of the list.
“The School District of Philadelphia is looking forward to this partnership with Transfinder,” said Thomas Marcucci, executive director of transportation at The School District of Philadelphia.
Marcucci outlined the goals the district has of its partnership with Transfinder.
“Our goal is to provide the safest, most reliable, most efficient and the best transportation possible for our stakeholders —students, parents, guardians and the entire school community,” he said. “Transfinder’s solutions and features will help us achieve that goal. We know that success comes through collaboration, and we are excited to work together with Transfinder in a true partnership to better serve our community.”
Transfinder President and CEO Antonio Civitella welcomed The School District of Philadelphia to the Transfinder family.
“The Transfinder team has worked closely with the district to meet and exceed its objectives,” Civitella said. “We take The School District of Philadelphia’s trust—or the trust of any district—very seriously. Philadelphia is choosing Transfinder at an ideal time, when our solutions are more innovative and user-friendly than ever. With our award-winning AI tool, Atlas, and industry-leading support, the City of Brotherly Love is in good hands with Transfinder.”
Transfinder’s AI assistant, Atlas, was just voted the Best Software/AI Solution by industry leaders.
With more than 2,500 school districts as clients in North America, Transfinder’s routing solutions are the industry leader, with one in three students riding buses utilizing Transfinder technology.
About Transfinder
Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Schenectady, New York, Transfinder is a national leader in intelligent transportation systems, providing transportation management systems and services to school districts, bus contractors, police departments and adult care facilities. Transfinder, has been on Inc. magazine’s “fastest-growing company” list for 14 years. The software and hardware company has received numerous awards, including Best Software, Best Hardware, Best Green Technology and Best Safety Technology. In addition, Transfinder has repeatedly won Best Places to Work, Top Workplace and Best Companies to Work for accolades. Transfinder develops and supports routing and scheduling solutions for optimal transportation logistics. Transfinder also created the award-winning Patrolfinder policing technology to enhance law enforcement. For more information, visit www.transfinder.com.
LATHAM, N.Y. – With schools reopening statewide and as students head back to school, the New York Association for Pupil Transportation (NYAPT) is urging motorists to use extra caution around school buses and stop when they see the flashing red lights.
According to reports from school bus operators from across the state, NYAPT says the problem of illegally passing a school bus remains a major safety concern across the state. School bus operators indicate that motorists frequently ignore flashing red lights and thereby endanger those students getting on an off the bus.
A recent survey conducted by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) indicated that 213,800 illegal passings occur each school day in the United States, endangering the children riding school buses.
“Our top priority is ensuring New York students travel to and from school safely every day, and motorists play a crucial role in that,” said NYAPT President John Spacht. “As schools reopen, we ask motorists to stay vigilant around children and always stop when a school bus has its red lights flashing.”
New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law requires all vehicles to come to a complete stop when approaching a school bus that is stopped with its red lights flashing. Flashing red lights indicate that a child is either boarding or disembarking the bus. New York State law prohibits passing a school bus that is stopped with its red lights flashing, regardless of your direction of travel, even on a multi-lane or divided highway.
Penalties for a first-time offense include a fine from $250 to $400, five points on your license and the possibility of 30-days in jail. A second conviction within three-years will result in a $600 to $750 fine and up
to 180-days in jail; while three or more convictions will result in a fine from $750 to $1,000, mandatory revocation of your driver’s license, and up to 180 days in jail.
Additionally, many school buses in New York State are equipped with stop arm camera systems that record illegal passing. If a motorist passes a school bus equipped with a stop arm camera system, the vehicle owner faces a $250-$300 penalty.
“Illegally passing a bus is completely unacceptable and entirely preventable,” said David Christopher, NYAPT Executive Director. “School buses are statistically the safest way for children to get to school—and motorists need to help us keep them safe by always stopping when they see those red lights flashing.”
NYAPT is also advising parents and caregivers that New York, like much of the nation, continues to face school bus driver shortages. According to a recent survey, 55% of NYAPT members, which include school districts and private school bus contractors, report an immediate need to hire additional school bus drivers.
To help address these driver shortages, the Association encourages anyone seeking a rewarding parttime opportunity to apply. School bus driving offers flexible hours, competitive hourly wages, health benefits, and schedules that align with school holidays and breaks. Interested applicants should contact their local school district or private school bus contractor to learn more.
About NYAPT
The New York Association for Pupil Transportation (nyapt.org) is a statewide organization dedicated to supporting and representing school transportation professionals responsible for the safe and efficient transportation of more than 2.3 million school children across New York State.
A Shenendehowa Central School District bus driver has been placed on administrative leave after authorities accused him of trying to kiss a child he met through his job, reported CBS 6.
According to the news report, Donald Barnes, 49, of Malta, New York, was charged with one count of endangering the welfare of a child. Troopers received a tip Aug. 7 alleging that Barnes had inappropriate contact with a child. Investigators later determined that he tried to kiss the child on the mouth.
The incident reportedly occurred in Malta and did not take place on school property. Authorities said Barnes became acquainted with the child through his work as a district bus driver. Police did not release the child’s age or provide additional details about the circumstances of the alleged encounter.
District officials said via the news report that they learned of the arrest Saturday morning and immediately acted under district policies and procedures. Barnes works in a 10-month position and had no scheduled hours during the summer, officials said.
“The safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority,” the district told local news reporters. “We take any matter involving the safety of our school community extremely seriously and will continue to take all appropriate measures as more information becomes available.”
The district said it could not release further information because the case is an active law enforcement and personnel matter.
“Because this is an active law enforcement and personnel matter, the district is limited in what additional information it can provide at this time,” officials said.
The district pledged to continue cooperating fully with investigators.
Police near Schenectady, New York arrested a school bus aide working for Rensselaer City School District after he allegedly exposed himself to a student with disabilities and engaged in inappropriate contact while the child was being transported.
Felton Edwards, Jr., 67, was charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a vulnerable elderly person, or an incompetent or physically disabled person, involving sexual contact without consent, a Class E felony. He was also charged with public lewdness, a Class B misdemeanor, according to a July 31 press release from the City of Rensselaer Police Department.
Police said the department received a complaint July 17 from Rensselaer City School District Superintendent Joseph Kardash regarding allegations that a school bus aide had inappropriate contact with a student.
Investigators determined that the alleged incident occurred the day prior while a school bus was transporting the student within the city of Rensselaer. Police allege Edwards exposed himself to the student, touched himself in the student’s presence, and allowed the student to place a hand inside his shorts.
The police did not identify the student or disclose the student’s age, school or disability. It also did not indicate whether other students or adults were on board the bus when the incident occurred.
It is unclear how the allegations were initially brought to the superintendent’s attention, who operated the school bus or whether the vehicle had surveillance cameras.
Edwards was arraigned in Rensselaer City Court before Judge Linda Johnson and released. Edwards was ordered to return to court Aug. 5 at 8:30 a.m. A full stay-away order of protection was issued on behalf of the student, according to police.
“RCSD would like to thank the RPD for a swift response to this criminal activity,” the district said in a statement to local news reports. “We appreciate the partnership, communication and diligence every time that we call them, especially in this case.”
The district statement did not provide additional information about Edwards’ employment status, including whether he had been removed from service following the complaint. It also did not specify what steps, if any, the district had taken to review transportation procedures or support the student and the student’s family. School Transportation News reached out to the district but did not receive a response at this
Police arrested a 30-year-old man and charged him with setting fire to a charter school bus in Times Square as crowds celebrated the New York Knicks’ NBA championship victory last month, reported New York Post.
According to the news report, Jonathan Strahs was taken into custody July 20 at his residence in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. He faces one federal arson charge in connection with the June 14 fire.
Authorities allege Strahs entered the school bus on West 42nd Street at approximately 2:47 a.m., shortly after the Knicks clinched their first NBA championship in 53 years. The bus had reportedly been contracted to transport World Cup attendees between the Port Authority Bus Terminal and MetLife Stadium. No passengers were reported on board when the fire was set.
Surveillance footage allegedly showed Strahs entering the bus and leaving shortly before flames engulfed the vehicle, authorities said. The fire spread through the bus’s interior and damaged a nearby vehicle before responding firefighters extinguished it.
FDNY fire marshals reportedly determined that the blaze had been intentionally set. They worked with the New York Police Department’s Arson and Explosion Squad and ATF special agents to investigate the incident and identify Strahs as a suspect.
“This fire, set on a busy street during a night of celebration, put the lives of bystanders and first responders at risk,” Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said. She credited the participating agencies and fire marshals for following evidence gathered during what she described as an extensive and complex investigation.
“This arrest reflects the strength of our partnership with ATF and NYPD, and the diligence of our Fire Marshals,” she added.
Strahs was among dozens of people reportedly arrested in connection with disturbances that occurred as crowds gathered across New York City to celebrate the Knicks’ championship. Authorities did not provide information about Strahs’ next court appearance. No injuries were reported in connection with the school bus fire.
After the reelection of former President Donald Trump, clean energy advocates across the country are preparing for a White House that will no doubt pursue aggressive rollbacks of climate policies and further expand fossil-fuel production.
Now more than ever, states will need to step up and pursue climate efforts on their own to “ensure continued progress toward clean energy,” said Caroline Spears, executive director of the advocacy group Climate Cabinet.
Few states are as important as New York, which is large, Democrat-controlled — and already committed to ambitious clean energy goals. In 2019, the state passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), which pledged to reach 70 percent renewable energy by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050.
“New York State can continue to lead without federal support or federal oversight,” said Mandy DeRoche, deputy managing attorney at the advocacy group Earthjustice. “We’ll continue our progress regardless, and that will happen in every state no matter what.”
But so far, the Empire State is falling behind on its climate goals. Across a slew of initiatives under New York’s 2019 climate law, regulators are missing key rulemaking deadlines. According to a July report from the state, New York will likely miss its landmark clean energy target for 2030. Right now, it’s on track to get just 53 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by that date, far short of 70 percent.
The report mostly blamed external economic factors, including supply-chain disruptions and high interest rates that led to a spate of major renewable project cancellations. Another issue is skyrocketing energy demand, largely driven by new data centers for crypto mining and AI, as well as microchip manufacturing facilities and the rise in electric vehicles and appliances.
Environmental advocates argue that faltering political will contributes just as much, if not more, to the state’s lackluster progress. Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, has expressed ambivalence over meeting looming clean energy targets.
“The costs have gone up so much I now have to say, ‘What is the cost on the typical New York family?’” Hochul said in a recent TV interview. “The goals are still worthy. But we have to think about the collateral damage of these decisions.”
Missing the 2030 deadline would jeopardize many of the state’s other climate goals, including achieving 100 percent zero-emissions energy by 2040 and shuttering “peaker” fossil-gas plants that disproportionately spew toxic pollutants into low-income communities and communities of color, in addition to emitting large amounts of planet-warming carbon dioxide.
But missing these goals is far from inevitable. From raising energy procurement targets to leaning on public power agencies, climate and legal experts say that there’s still plenty of ways New York can make good on its clean energy pledge.
“We’re not ready to say we can’t meet the 2030 goal,” said DeRoche. “Of course, there are obstacles, but the messaging and the approach from the state should be, ‘This is a statutory obligation, and we will do everything in our power to meet it.’”
How New York could get back on track
On some level, New York’s struggles come down to a straightforward problem: The state doesn’t have enough existing or upcoming renewable energy projects to meet its goals.
About 30 percent of the state’s electricity currently comes from renewable sources, mostly from upstate hydropower plants built many decades ago.
One bright spot is that New York has already outpaced its 6-gigawatt goal for rooftop and community solar — but its targets for utility-scale solar, wind, and battery storage projects, which make up the bulk of its clean energy plan, remain well off-track.
To help solve this, DeRoche and her team at Earthjustice argue in public comments to state energy regulators that New York should vastly increase its renewable energy procurement targets, which set guidelines for how much clean power the state should purchase from private developers. State agencies have determined that they would need to purchase about 14,000 gigawatt hours each year for the next three years to meet the 2030 deadline, yet have recommended procuring only 5,600 gigawatt hours per year.
“The Draft Review provides no basis for setting the target so low,” her team wrote, arguing that state agencies should reevaluate how feasible it would be to procure a higher volume.
New clean energy construction should be prioritized in downstate New York, DeRoche adds, a region that houses most of the state’s population yet relies heavily on fossil fuels compared with the largely hydro- and nuclear-powered upstate areas. The state will also need to address transmission and interconnection backlogs that make it harder to connect new power generation to the grid. Earlier this year, lawmakers passed the RAPID Act to expedite that process for clean energy projects and transmission lines.
Some activists argue that the state itself should take a leading role to develop more clean energy.
Last year, an amendment to the state budget granted the New York Power Authority the ability to build, own, and operate renewable energy projects for the first time. Organizers at the grassroots coalition Public Power New York say that government leaders have yet to capitalize on the change, commonly referred to as the Build Public Renewables Act. In October, NYPA released its first strategic plan for developing renewable energy projects, proposing the installation of 3.5 gigawatts of new clean energy in the next several years.
“This is only the first tranche of NYPA renewables projects,” the report said, with potentially “further projects for consideration.”
Andrea Johnson, an organizer with the New York City chapter of Democratic Socialists of America, a member group of Public Power New York, called that number “measly.” Public Power New York is rallying for the authority to commit to 15 gigawatts of new clean power by 2030, an amount based on research commissioned by the group.
Expanding clean power at a faster rate would fulfill NYPA’s responsibilities under last year’s expanded authority, which calls on it to build projects when the state falls short on its climate mandates, Johnson said. “When the private sector fails — and the private sector is failing — the state needs to step in and actually fill the gap.”
Leveraging NYPA can also allow New York to meet its climate goals at a lower cost, Johnson said. As a nonprofit, public institution, NYPA can access more favorable financing. It also owns and builds transmission lines, allowing it to plan for both energy generation and distribution at the same time, she said. NYPA is also required to provide utility bill credits to low- and moderate-income households for any clean energy produced from its projects.
Beyond building more clean energy, the state should also take steps to ease growing power demand, including strengthening building efficiency standards and accelerating the installation of heat pumps, said Michael Gerrard, faculty director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School.
That includes addressing the rapid growth of crypto mining and AI electricity use and its effects on residents, said DeRoche. State officials noted that those rising energy demands have made it far more difficult to reach clean energy targets. But agencies have policy tools available to understand and reduce unabated growth — and they should start with making sure that discounted electricity rates for cryptocurrency and AI companies aren’t being subsidized by residents, DeRoche said.
Offshore wind’s uncertain future
Any effort to accelerate New York’s adoption of clean energy will need to grapple with challenges in the offshore wind sector, a cornerstone of the state’s strategy that is likely to face even more setbacks under the incoming Trump administration.
New York aims to install 9 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2035, but in the past four years, inflation, high interest rates, and supply-chain issues led developers to pull out of contracts in the state.
That challenging economic environment is now improving, however, according to Atin Jain, an offshore wind analyst at the energy consulting firm BloombergNEF. As inflation has started to ease and interest rates have begun to come down, “We have probably passed the worst of it,” Jain said. State officials have been quick to respond to the industry’s economic pressures, he added, expediting auctions to renegotiate previous agreements and adding language in contracts to allow for inflation adjustments.
Two new projects, Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind 1, with 924 and 810 megawatts of capacity, respectively, are currently moving forward in New York. The 132-megawatt South Fork Wind farm went live in March off the coast of Long Island.
But Trump’s reelection casts a new uncertainty over the industry. Trump has vowed to stop offshore wind development “on day one” and to “terminate” the Inflation Reduction Act. If those declarations end up translating to real policy, then offshore wind, which relies heavily on federal tax credits and requires federal approval and permits to build and operate, could suffer — in New York and beyond.
Still, New York has enshrined a legal mandate to decarbonize its economy — meaning no matter the headwinds, the state has an obligation to follow through, DeRoche said.
“We hear from the governor that the CLCPA is the nation’s leading climate law,” said DeRoche. “Well, it’s only the nation’s leading climate law if we’re implementing it.”
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