Bringing Electric School Buses to New York City: Myths vs. Facts The New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund supports the electrification of NYC’s school bus fleets. Mayor Bill De Blasio and NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson have also expressed their support for electric school buses. NYLCVEF believes that NYC can transition the city’s fleet to improve air quality, protect children’s health, and make good on our citywide commitments to fighting climate change. Below we address common misconceptions about electrifying NYC’s school bus fleet.
While electric school buses are a significant investment, they are investments in our children’s health and future and our local air quality, which is why we recommend federal and state investments in school bus electrification. NYLCVEF CLEAN BUS GUIDE
MYTH: There is not enough grid capacity in NYC to electrify an entire school bus fleet. FACT: There is enough grid capacity. On an average day, NYC uses approximately 11,000 megawatts (mw) of energy. It would take around 42 mw to sustain the city’s approximately 9,000 school buses. If buses are charged efficiently and not during peak hours, NYC’s grid would easily have enough capacity to meet this demand. MYTH: There will not be enough charging infrastructure in NYC for electric school buses. FACT: The City’s plan to electrify its fleet by 2040 will require constructing more EV charging infrastructure within the city. Federal and state funding programs are available to alleviate some of the costs of purchasing new charging infrastructure. One of these programs is the Make Ready NY program, which can cover up to 90% of the cost of charging infrastructure for fleets. Additionally, in July of 2020, Governor Cuomo announced that an additional $750 million will be available through the Make Ready program. 8
