Stec: Budget's EV bus mandate delay a good start for schools

ALBANY | On Wednesday, Sen. Dan Stec (R,C-Queensbury) voted to approve S.9006-C, the state budget's Education, Labor, and Family Assistance (ELFA) bill. A component of this bill is a delay of the Zero Emission Bus (ZEB) mandate by five years (to 2035 instead of 2027 for purchasing and leasing ZEBs, and to 2040 instead of 2035 for solely operating and maintaining ZEBs). Stec has long been a proponent of delaying or eliminating this mandate. In 2024, he spoke at a press conference calling for it to be repealed. This past March, he joined a bipartisan legislative delegation and school district officials from the region in a forum on the topic. The delay implemented in the budget has been long sought after by schools and, considering the high costs of implementing it, will mean real cost savings for districts. "Since being enacted in 2022, I've heard from school officials across our region that the electric bus mandate is unrealistic, due to its exorbitant costs and unattainable timelines," said Stec. "The delay I helped pass in this year's ELFA portion of the state budget provides a needed pause on the looming 2027 deadline. In this time of increased costs, it also gives our schools some much-needed financial relief. "While this is a major win for our schools and I'm glad to have helped make it happen, there's more work to be done. A one-size-fits-all approach to transportation and electric vehicles doesn't meet the geographical and climate realities of our region. Going forward, I am going to continue pushing for a full repeal of the mandate," he added.

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Stec: Budget's EV bus mandate delay a good start for schools

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