State providing $24M for electric buses
The state announced this week that it will make $24 million available for municipal bus services to purchase all-electric buses.
The money is part of the state’s $127.7 million allocation of Volkswagen’s financial settlement with the federal government, resulting from the automaker’s tampering of emission studies.
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) will administer about $18.4 million to fund the new electric transit buses through the New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program and the New York Power Authority will manage $6 million of the funding for associated charging infrastructure.
On Long Island, those eligible to receive the state funding include the City of Long Beach Department of Transportation, Huntington Area Rapid Transit, Nassau Inter-City Express and Suffolk County Transportation.
The funding aims to increase the number of all-electric transit buses on New York’s roadways while removing older diesel-powered vehicles trucks through a scrappage requirement. The new all-electric transit buses will be required to be housed at bus depots or operate on routes located within environmental justice communities.
