Tens of Thousands of School Buses Are Back On NYC Streets. Only 68 Are Electric.

State law requires every school bus across New York to be powered by clean electric energy by 2035, and bans non-electric school bus purchases by 2027. Environmental advocates are pushing for a City Council hearing on the transition.

One of Consolidated Bus Transit’s many parking lots in East New York, Brooklyn.

Fall is officially here, and so are the yellow buses that take kids to and from school.

But these buses, which are mostly powered by fossil fuels, also emit the fumes that drive climate change and pollute the air. 

To change that, the state passed a law three years ago that requires every school bus across New York to be powered by clean electric energy by 2035. And starting in 2027, every new school bus purchased must be a zero-emission vehicle.

But only 68 school buses of the 10,500 in New York City’s fleet are currently electric, according to the city’s Department of Education.

Environmental groups fear that the city won’t meet the 2035 mandate as efforts to distribute funding have been slow. They say the public is being kept in the dark about the progress that has been made so far, and that more transparency is needed. 

“We have been consistently calling for an oversight hearing to take place at City Council this entire year, but it hasn’t happened yet,” said Lonnie Portis, director of policy and legislative affairs at WE ACT for Environmental Justice. 

“Oversight hearings are the best way to let the public and local stakeholders know what the current state of these electric school buses are,” Portis added. “Where are we in this process? How much money has been spent?” 

When it comes  to the money, New York City did secure a big chunk of funding from the federal government last March. At the time, Mayor Eric Adams announced that the $61.1 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would put 180 new electric school buses into circulation. 

But the city’s Department of Education told City Limits that the funds are yet to be distributed, as it’s taken months for the Trump administration to release the funds. Only now is the money becoming available for school districts, the department noted. 

Bus production and infrastructure upgrades take time, but the department is hopeful that the full 180 electric buses will be added to the city’s fleet eventually.  

“We are always working with our vendors to ensure every student has access to reliable, high-quality transportation that keeps them healthy and supports our environmental future,” a spokesperson for the DOE  said in an email.

“Protecting our students’ health and well-being is our top priority, and electrifying our school bus fleet advances this commitment by eliminating harmful emissions and creating quieter, healthier rides that supports better learning environments.” 

Still, environmental advocates fear funds for electric school buses will dry up under Trump, as his administration has not had the best track record when it comes to electrification efforts.

Since starting his second term in office, Trump has shown disdain for cleaner ways to generate energy, like wind and solar power. This year, the president suspended new leasing and permitting for offshore wind projects and rescinded Biden-era tax credits that helped fund the clean energy transition.

Mayor Eric Adams at a press conference last year announcing funding for more electric school buses via the Biden administration. ( Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)

“This new federal administration is rolling back environmental protections and regulations and it’s playing a dangerous game,” said Kevin Garcia, senior transportation planner at the non-profit New York City Environmental Justice Alliance.

“So we need the city and state to take real bold climate action in order to make sure that they’re still improving air quality and protecting communities across New York,” Garcia added. 

On the state level, New York has managed to secure $500 million for school bus electrification through the Environmental Bond Act, which New York voters approved in 2022. But accessing the money has proven difficult as not many school districts know how to apply for the funds. 

The money is distributed through a voucher-based initiative run by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). New York K-12 public school districts and third-party bus operators that are under contract with them can apply for the incentive and receive discounts when they purchase zero-emission buses.

While NYSERDA has been providing informational webinars on everything there is to know about electric school buses and applying for these vouchers, environmental advocates say more outreach is needed.

When it comes to applying for the electric school bus incentives, most school districts “just don’t know where to start,” said Suhali Mendez, policy and legislative coordinator at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI).

“I think a lot of the reason that there aren’t enough out there has to do with lack of information,” Mendez added. “We definitely still have a long way to go before meeting our electric school bus goals.”

To reach the reporter behind this story, contact Mariana@citylimits.org. To reach the editor, contact Jeanmarie@citylimits.org

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