New York Power Authority Clean Transportation Update                                March 2006

Greetings from the New York Power Authority!

It’s been a while since our last update. We’ve been very busy with our activities to promote the use of electric and hybrid-electric vehicles in New York State and we have a lot of news to share.

E-Cars, Trucks, Buses….We’re on a Roll

Our 2005 Electric-Drive Vehicle Report, a year-end tally of our efforts to expand the use of clean-fueled vehicles, shows that NYPA has helped to place about 800 electric-drive vehicles with customers around the state and in its own fleet. Ranging from hybrid-electric trucks and buses to all-electric utility vehicles and neighborhood cars, these vehicles have logged over 5 million miles since our first electric car rolled into service in 1991.

“In addition to the vehicles we’ve placed in service, a number of our projects focus on reducing emissions on existing vehicles,” said Helen Eisenfeld, director of cost control and electric transportation. “For example, we have programs to install emission control devices on 1,500 diesel school buses in New York City, and on garbage trucks in Queens.”  

The Vehicle Report demonstrates the continued viability of all-electric vehicles and advances in hybrid technologies, and highlights the commitment of NYPA’s customers to support Gov. George Pataki’s efforts to provide a cleaner environment and reduce dependence on foreign oil.   

“In next year’s report, we will include a study that quantifies emissions reductions and fuel savings by project, region and customer from 1991-2004,” said Eisenfeld. “The number of vehicles in service tells part of the story, but the emissions reductions are an important measure of our success.”

Making Strides Toward Greener Pastures

When we think of air pollution, scenes of smog-screened cityscapes and expressways crammed with bumper-to-bumper traffic come to mind.  In fact, air pollution is a greater menace in areas where we least expect it—the bucolic parks and green spaces where we go to work out, relax, rest our eyes and breathe clean air. But such green oases often are plagued by high levels of air pollutants from the utility trucks and lawn care tools used to make them look so inviting.

We recently launched a program known as Green Zones, targeted for parks, college campuses and other limited access areas. It is designed to replace traditional gasoline- and diesel-fueled vehicles and equipment, both on- and off-road, with cleaner, more efficient electric and hybrid-electric vehicles and outdoor power equipment.  Several customers around the state have signed on to the program, including Niagara Falls State Park, Bethpage State Park on Long Island, Bronx Community College, Queens College, Hudson River Park Trust and the cities of Utica and White Plains.

In fact, the City of White Plains experienced the impact of this program almost immediately when it received two Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid–electric trucks two days before the season’s worst snowstorm in February 2006. The trucks proved instrumental in helping the city dig out from under nearly two feet of snow. White Plains Commissioner of Public Works Joseph Nicoletti Jr. said the trucks performed flawlessly “under the harshest of conditions, while saving fuel.”

We work with our partners to identify products (both commercially available and new technologies) that could adequately replace older equipment. We also provide technical assistance and co-funding to help with their purchase and implementation.  For instance, we are currently testing a custom-designed Club Car Carryall truck, a modified electric golf cart equipped with a bank of electrical outlets to power outdoor equipment used in the field.  It is currently on loan with Niagara Falls State Park.  

We are also analyzing data on product performance, emission reductions and fuel savings as we look to expand the program to benefit more of New York’s state parks and other green retreats. 

Roosevelt Island’s Distinctive Red Buses Go Green

On Roosevelt Island, brand new red hybrid-electric transit buses are transporting passengers to various public transportation hubs, including to the island’s signature trams to Manhattan, in a cleaner and more cost-effective way. 

We worked with the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to secure funding totaling $2.2 million to help purchase the buses which replace traditional buses in the Roosevelt Island fleet.  We also served as technical advisors on the project, traveling with RIOC personnel to the Orion Bus Industries and BAE Systems plants, where the buses are manufactured in Oriskany and Johnson City , N.Y., to perform inspections and discuss specifications.

The buses have an electric-drive system which includes a battery pack and an electric motor. The mechanical energy from braking is converted back into electrical energy and supplies additional power to accelerate and climb hills. The hybrid technology, combined with a diesel particulate filter and the use of ultra-low-sulfur fuel, have reduced the emissions of particulate matter by 90 percent, nitrogen oxides by 40 percent and greenhouse gases by 30 percent.  Fuel consumption for the hybrid buses is 25 to 35 percent less than for a standard diesel bus.

The program builds on a project we initiated with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in the early 1990s which has been instrumental in placing hundreds of hybrid- electric transit buses in New York City and was a catalyst in launching the commercial hybrid transit bus industry.

At a Feb. 14, 2006, press conference to announce the arrival of the RIOC buses, NYPA’s President and CEO Tim Carey said the buses are helping to achieve Governor Pataki’s vision of ending reliance on foreign oil by creating a “transportation sector transformed by electric-drive, bio-fueled and clean-fueled vehicle technologies.” 

 Clean Commute Program Gone But Not Forgotten

NYPA’s Clean Commute Program, which we wrote about in our inaugural issue of the Clean Transportation Update, officially ended in 2005 when the last leases on the Ford Motor Co.’s Think! city electric cars were turned in. 

Though officially over, fond memories linger for many of the nearly 100 participants who agreed to try out this new and cleaner way to commute to work.  One participant, Kenneth Bandler, recently wrote about his experiences as a “transportation pioneer” in a New York Times op-ed, published March 19, 2006, entitled “The Suburbs, Unplugged.” 

Bandler writes vividly about the trials and triumphs of the electric car commute, including his experiences learning to gauge the car’s battery capacity to avoid getting towed, as well as his pride in talking about the car to curious neighbors and on-lookers. According to Bandler, the car was “perfect for driving from home to the train station, the supermarket, the cinema, my daughter’s school and other local destinations without using any gas or emitting any pollutants.” 

For a full text of Bandler’s article, visit the archives at nytimes.com. 

We’re currently at work on a number of other exciting electric transportation projects, which we can’t wait to tell you about. Stay tuned for our next update.