Last month, Governor Kathy Hochul signed a law banning the sale of fossil fuel vehicles until 2035.
It’s an ambitious plan that is part of the government’s goal to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions over the next few decades. The state parliament passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act in 2019.
This stipulates that the state will obtain at least 70% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. In addition, New York must be zero emissions by 2040 and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 85% by 2050.
The bill signed by Hochul on September 8th stipulates that cars will be electric in 14 years and trucks will have to follow suit in 24 years.
“Reg. Kathy Hochul today announced new measures to reduce climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution from the transport sector. The governor signed a bill (A4302 / S2758) that set the goal that all new cars and trucks sold in New York state should be emission-free by 2035. The governor also instructed the Department of Environmental Conservation to publish a proposed ordinance that would significantly reduce air pollution from trucks. If adopted, the regulation would accelerate the sale of zero-emission trucks, which would lead to improved air quality across the country, and particularly in the communities that are disproportionately affected by traffic-related pollution, “a press release said on September 8 of Hochul offices. “According to the new law, new SUVs and equipment sold in New York should be emission-free by 2035 and new medium and heavy commercial vehicles by 2045. The law also calls for the development of a zero-emission “vehicle development strategy by 2023, led by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, to expedite implementation of the government measures and programs required to meet the law’s new goals.”
This move is causing some northern New York communities to inventory the vehicles they will need to replace in the near future. Municipalities also need to determine how many charging stations they need to install to meet the needs resulting from this law.
It is good for officials to have these conversations. You don’t want to be surprised when the mandates take place.
Given the threats we face from climate change, New York has taken bold steps to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. Of course, it is important for governments at all levels to take effective action to address the problems.
But while it sounds progressive, the specification of electric vehicles raises other questions. The cars themselves produce zero emissions – fantastic!
But what about their energy sources? Will New York figure out how to reduce its reliance on carbon-based energy until it needs zero-emission vehicles?
The country attaches great importance to wind and solar projects in order to ensure sufficient energy supply in the regions with the highest electricity demand. In doing so, however, the Nordland is under pressure to host many of these facilities.
What is New York’s obligation to use hydropower? Many have questioned the state’s desire to reap the benefits of north New York with this energy source after it recently signed a contract with Hydro-Québec, a Canadian company, to provide electricity to New York City.
Nuclear power must also be part of the energy solution for the state. However, the closure of the Indian Point power plant earlier this year shows the challenges this industry is facing.
Another major concern related to the state mandate to make new vehicles emission-free is whether local residents are actually complying with an order from Albany to buy certain cars. While the law doesn’t directly force people to buy electric vehicles (they could still buy used cars with flammable engines), we have to believe that this is a sign of the future.
No government should force voters to buy an item they don’t want. This practice must be left to the free market. Once local residents see the benefit of using zero-emission vehicles, they will buy them in bulk – without the need for a government mandate.
Also, how will this law affect New Yorkers’ interstate travel? Electric vehicles are beneficial for getting around communities, especially those with a sufficient number of charging stations.
But visiting other states could be problematic for New Yorkers with electric cars. Will these people stop if there are not enough charging stations or facilities with the required charging capacity in their state?
Will New Yorkers be inclined to buy their new vehicles in other states to get around this problem? What effects does this have on the sales tax revenues of the dealerships? Will Albany ever order gas stations to be phased out?
Strongly promoting the use of electric vehicles without forcing them would be a better policy of the state government. New York should find ways to create more charging stations. Officials also need to examine the economic impact these mandates will have in the near future.
Moving away from fossil fuels is key to reversing worrying trends in climate change. However, questions remain as to how the state will achieve the goals it has set. We need some answers to these questions before we implement these changes.
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