The Commissioner of Education can now grant a 4-year extension to the EV bus requirement.
The recently approved NY State budget includes language that allows for a delay in the electrification of school buses. The current mandate is for schools to only purchase electric buses begining in less than two years. Now, districts can ask for a delay of up to 4 years if they meet certain requirements. Assemblyman Matt Simpson, who represents Essex County and some counties to the south, says while the delay is a step in the right direction, he would rather see the mandate go away as the EV Buses are not expected to preform well in rural areas.