Sen. Griffo, EPA, and Big Truck Dealers Mull Over Electric Mandate

New York State Sen. Joe Griffo brought together the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), local businesses, and local and state officials to discuss New York's electric mandate on big trucks. The New York Advanced Clean Truck (ACT) Rule requires that medium and heavy-duty vehicles, including municipal plows, be manufactured as zero emission starting in 2025, with the goal of 100% of trucks over 8,500 pounds to be zero emission by 2045.

In late 2021, the governor announced that the ACT Rule had been adopted as part of the state’s efforts to meet the targets of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), which Sen. Griffo did not support. The regulation would require that medium and heavy-duty vehicles, including municipal plows, be manufactured as zero emission starting in 2025, with the goal of 100% of trucks over 8,500 pounds to be zero emission by 2045.

Groups like the New York State Automobile Dealers Association, Trucking Association of New York, New York State County Highway Association and local highway superintendents and departments and Utica Mack, Inc. have pushed back against this regulation because it would be detrimental to businesses and communities. They have urged that the state slow down implementation because of a lack of needed equipment and that the required infrastructure is not yet ready for this significant shift to zero emission vehicles.

The meeting was part of Sen. Griffo’s ongoing efforts to help truck dealerships, individual truck owners, commercial trucking companies, municipal highway departments and local governments deal with this onerous regulation.

Those in attendance at the forum included Michael Martucci, Regional Administrator for EPA Region 2; Assemblyman Brian Miller, R-C-New Hartford; Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon, D-Marcy; Tom Heiland with Utica Mack; Vincenza and Thomas Bick with Bick & Heintz, Inc. in Utica; Zach Miller, Vice President of Government Affairs for the Trucking Association of New York; Jim Cheyne, Oneida County Highway Superintendent Association President and Town of Marcy Highway Superintendent; Kevin Monaghan, Town of Marcy Deputy Highway Superintendent; Mark Stone of Burr Truck Sales in Vestal; Joe Rutkowski from Mohawk Valley Materials; and Kris DeLair, executive director of the Empire State Energy Association (ESEA); and John Jennings with ESEA.

“I appreciate the willingness of EPA Regional Administrator Martucci and his staff to meet with some of those affected by the ACT Rule,” Sen. Griffo said. “This meeting was an important opportunity for area business owners, trucking associations and local officials to discuss concerns with this problematic regulation directly with the EPA.”

Sen. Griffo has introduced legislation (S.1749) that would delay the implementation of the ACT regulation to provide more time to fully understand the effect that this rule would have on industries and municipalities in the state. Assemblywoman Buttenschon has sponsored a companion bill (A.1073) in the Assembly.