‘Charging’ Ahead on a Green Fleet in Tompkins County By Terry Carroll, Chief Sustainability Officer, Tompkins County
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n the race to transition to electric vehicles (EVs), Tompkins County is charging ahead. An innovative Green Fleet Capital Plan, a commitment to moving towards net-zero emissions for government operations, and a department leading the way have all allowed Tompkins County to show what’s possible. Tompkins County’s Green Fleet Capital Fund was implemented in the 2020 budget year with the aim to offset the increased costs of electric vehicles for departments as they buy replacement vehicles, while also providing funding for infrastructure upgrades that allow for on-site vehicle charging. The commitment from the Legislature laid out a 5-year plan with $350,000 dollars allocated each year. This capital fund helps provide certainty that year-over-year, funding will be available to purchase more EVs to replace those that run on fossil fuels. It also signals to community members and staff that Tompkins County is serious about our commitments. In 2010, Tompkins County pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from county operations by 80% of 2008 levels by 2050, with an incremental goal of 20% reductions by 2020. As the county approached 2020, we realized that the interim goal had overwhelmingly been surpassed, with an emissions reduction of 51% as measured by traditional methodologies. However, alarm bells were ringing from the international scientific community that more needed to be done, and on a quicker timeline than previously thought. Goals targeting 2050 were no longer enough. So, we went back to the drawing board and modified our goals via an updated 2019 Energy Strategy, laying out a plan to strive for the largest reduction in the shortest timeframe possible while remaining financially solvent. In short, the race is on for Tompkins County to get to net-zero emissions as quickly as possible, and electrifying transportation will play a large role in whether we achieve our goals. Our 2019 Government Operations Greenhouse Gas Inventory identified 1,686 metric tons of carbon emissions resulting from the county fleet. The capital fund gives us the resources to address these vehicle emissions head on, while we acknowledge that increased internal buy-in will also be necessary. Thankfully, our Health Department is already showing what is possible.
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NYSAC News | Fall 2021
The Tompkins County Health Department received their first electric vehicle in 2018 thanks, in part, to funding from Tompkins County’s designation as a Clean Energy Community by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The accompanying grant funding helped us buy 15 EVs, 10 of which were allocated to the Health Department. With a mixture of plug-in hybrid Chevy Volts and fully electric but short-ranged Nissan Leafs, relying on dedicated charging infrastructure, the Health Department was a first-test case for what an electrified county fleet would look like. Thankfully, the test was passed with flying colors. The Health Department developed a program to help employees learn more about EVs and become comfortable driving them to home and site visits across the county. Lessons were learned about what charging infrastructure is necessary, which vehicles are best for the job, and the potential financial savings we may see from the switch to EVs due to lower maintenance requirements and cheaper electricity costs. Employees grew to not only be comfortable driving the vehicles, but the EVs became the preferred choice for most employees. The Health Department has since decided that all future department vehicles will be electric and other departments are taking notice; our Information Technology, Recycling, and Facilities Departments are all awaiting electric vehicle deliveries in 2021 and more EV purchases are expected next year. Even our Highway Department is interested in supporting this effort by incorporating emerging electric trucks in their operations. The Green Fleet Capital Fund, an aggressive emissions goal, and a department that was willing to lead the way, have all shown what is possible for municipal governments. Tompkins County is committed to reducing our climate impact and we see EVs as a huge opportunity to move in that direction. However, solving fleet emissions is just one part of the climate equation; buildings emissions represent a whole other sector that we need to tackle. Thankfully, a Green Facilities Capital Plan is now moving forward on an equally aggressive timeline as the fleet conversion. With these investments, Tompkins County is well positioned to have slashed emissions to achieve the goal of 80% emissions reduction ten years early, with the goal of net-zero becoming ever closer to a reality.
