Documents › Board of Education, 2026-05-07

correspondence 2 pages

Stephen Walker Superintendent of Schools May 6, 2026 Hon. Rory M. Christian, Chair New York State Public Service Commission Empire State Plaza, Agency Building 3 Albany, New York 12223-1350 Re: Case 26-00643 — Letter in Support of Petition of the Lower Hudson Education Coalition for an Informational Proceeding to Examine Electric Utility Readiness to Support School Bus Fleet Electrification Dear Chair Christian and Commissioners: The Croton-Harmon Union Free School District (“Croton-Harmon UFSD”) respectfully submits this letter in support of the petition filed by the Lower Hudson Education Coalition (“LHEC”) in Case 26-00643, requesting that the Commission initiate a dedicated informational proceeding to examine electric utility readiness to support school bus fleet electrification under Education Law § 3638. Croton-Harmon UFSD is a public school district located in Croton-on-Hudson, Westchester County, New York. The district serves approximately 1,500 students and operates a fleet of approximately 50 district-owned school buses. The district is served by Consolidated Edison. Croton-Hudson UFSD supports the State’s long-term goal of transitioning to zero-emission school transportation. We are committed to improving air quality for our students and reducing the environmental impact of our operations. At the same time, we have a fiduciary obligation to our taxpayers and a responsibility to our families to ensure that school bus service remains reliable, safe, and fiscally sustainable throughout this transition. Croton-Harmon Union Free School District 10 Gerstein Street; Croton-on-Hudson, New York 10520 Telephone: (914) 271-4713 Fax: (914) 827-3185 It is for these reasons that we support LHEC’s petition. The critical constraint our district faces in planning for fleet electrification is not the availability of electric buses or incentive funding—it is the electric grid infrastructure required to charge them. Our district has already begun coordinating with Consolidated Edison regarding electrical service for bus charging. We are also in the process of completing our required Fleet Electrification Plan (FEP). We have grid capacity restraints that limit our ability to continue to replace diesel/gas vehicles with electric vehicles. Delays by Consolidated Edison in responding to requests for increased electrical capacity are jeopardizing school electrification goals. These experiences confirm that the ad hoc, district-by-district approach to utility coordination described in LHEC’s petition is insufficient for a transition of this scale. We support LHEC’s request for a dedicated proceeding because school districts need reliable, utility-specific information to make responsible capital planning decisions. Our board of education approves budgets annually and capital projects through voter-approved bond referenda. We cannot commit taxpayer funds to bus purchases and charging infrastructure without confidence that the electrical service those investments depend on will be delivered on a timeline and at a cost that our community can absorb. The Commission is uniquely positioned to require utilities to provide that information and to establish the accountability framework that the current ad hoc process lacks. For these reasons, Croton-Harmon UFSD respectfully urges the Commission to grant LHEC’s petition in Case 26-00643 and initiate a dedicated informational proceeding at the earliest opportunity. Respectfully submitted, ____________________________________ Stephen Walker Superintendent of Schools Croton-Harmon Union Free School District 10 Gerstein Street Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520 914-271-4713 www.chufsd.org 2