October 3, 2024

New York City is the first large-scale renewable diesel provider on the East Coast

The transition will eliminate 162 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions each year

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Louis A. Molina announced today that 100 percent of the city’s 12,500 heavy-duty and off-road vehicles will make the transition York City is the first major city on the East Coast to adopt this green technology on such a large scale. The transition will prevent 162 million pounds of global carbon dioxide emissions from entering the air each year and will serve as an important bridge fuel as viable electric versions of these vehicles are developed and brought to market.

“Building a safer city also means protecting New Yorkers from the dangers posed by carbon emissions and climate change,” he said Mayor Adams. “Converting our entire heavy-duty fleet to renewable diesel is an important step in our journey to carbon neutrality and a clear sign of our commitment to a cleaner, greener New York City.”

“This achievement reflects the Adams Administration’s unwavering focus on combating climate change and promoting innovative solutions. “By converting our fleet to renewable diesel, we are reducing emissions, improving air quality and cementing New York City as a national leader in sustainable practices,” he said First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright.“I am proud that our administration has successfully implemented ambitious policy changes and built a healthier, more resilient city for all New Yorkers.”

“In our quest to make New York the greenest city in the country, we must be the change we want to see.” SHelp Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “Completing the transition to renewable diesel gives our fleet a head start as we work towards electrifying our school buses and taxis. The message is clear: there is no delay in the fight against climate change. We all have to do our part.”

“Today marks a significant milestone in New York City’s commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship, and I couldn’t be prouder of the team that accomplished this for our city,” he said DCAS Commissioner Molina. “Converting our fleet to renewable diesel demonstrates our commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and setting a new national standard for fleet greening initiatives. By replacing conventional diesel and our continued work to transition from gasoline to electric cars, we are eliminating harmful emissions from our air and paving the way for a cleaner, healthier New York City for everyone who calls it home.”

“The men and women of the NYPD are proud to advance the city’s goal of minimizing our collective carbon footprint by implementing smart and energy efficient solutions,” he said New York Police Department Interim Commissioner Thomas G. Donlon. “Reducing lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions is truly one of the best ways we can serve New Yorkers.”

“The safety of New Yorkers is the FDNY’s top priority,” he said New York City (FDNY) Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker. “Thanks to renewable diesel, we are now able to do this more efficiently and with less impact on the environment, with no impact on fire and medical operations. The FDNY is proud to be fully compliant and use renewable diesel in all of our fire engines and ambulances. This is a win for the city and a win for the environment.”

“DSNY is the largest user of renewable diesel among city agencies,” he said Jessica Tisch, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY).. “By powering our collection vehicles and snow equipment with renewable diesel, New York’s Strongest are playing a critical role in keeping our city clean, both on the streets and in the air.”

“The transport sector is responsible for almost 28 percent of our city’s greenhouse gas emissions, but that means it can also be an important part of the solution.” “Reducing dependence on fossil fuels is an important step towards a greener and healthier New York City,” he said Ydanis Rodriguez, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation. “Converting the city’s heavy-duty vehicle fleet to renewable diesel shows the city is leading by example and finding new ways to reduce its carbon footprint.”

“This transition is a major step forward towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2050,” he said Rohit Aggarwala, New York City Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner and Chief Climate Officer. “While full electrification remains our goal, eliminating the city’s fleet of polluting fossil fuels will make New York a safer place to live for all of our residents by reducing net greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. If we all work together to make our vehicles greener, decarbonize our buildings and build a more sustainable food system, we can reach our climate goals faster and show the rest of the country how this can and should be achieved.”

“New York City is committed to fully electrifying our transportation, infrastructure and buildings – both in the private sector and in city government operations,” he said Elijah Hutchinson, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice. “This is a truly ambitious commitment and we must rise to the challenge from all sides. This means using viable technologies to electrify what is possible in the short term when it comes to passenger vehicles and fossil fuel-powered heating systems in our buildings, while leveraging bridging technologies like renewable fuels when electric options are not available. This includes some infrastructure, building portfolios that require significant capital planning to electrify, and heavy-duty vehicles such as snow plows and ambulances that serve New Yorkers.”

“In September 2023, the city of New York became the first city on the East Coast of the United States to convert to renewable diesel,” he said DCAS Deputy Commissioner and New York Fleet Chief Keith Kerman. “Mayor Adams set a goal for all agencies to replace their dirty fossil diesel at on-site gas stations, and we did it. All agencies are now reducing carbon and exhaust emissions with cleaner renewable diesel, helping DCAS meet our goal of 50 percent greenhouse gas reductions by 2025. In fact, all DSNY trucks this winter used exclusively renewable diesel during the cold and snowy seasons. New York City is ready to electrify these vehicles when market solutions exist, and we are working with vehicle manufacturers to advance a robust electric vehicle market.”

Since the transition began in September 2023, more than 12 million diesel have been replaced with renewable diesel Gallons of fossil diesel and have already been used to power the city’s fleet of garbage trucks, ambulances, work trucks, emergency generators and more. Renewable diesel can reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 60 percent compared to conventional diesel, while meeting the same operating specifications as conventional diesel. Unlike biodiesel, which can only be used in blends of five to 20 percent with regular diesel, renewable diesel can be used as a complete replacement for fossil diesel while still providing the same environmental benefits as biodiesel.

Today’s announcement builds on the City’s efforts to reduce emissions in the transportation sector. In April 2024 the government won $77 million in federal grants to electrify 180 school buses and build a first-in-the-nation electric truck charging depot at the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center. In May 2024, DCAS released its Clean fleet updateIt was highlighted that the city had exceeded 5,000 plug-in electric vehicles and installed 2,000 electric charging ports. To date, over 70 percent of the city’s fleet – more than 21,000 fleet units – uses sustainable fuels, including electric, hybrid-electric, solar and biofuel vehicles. In August, the administration won one $15 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Programto build the nation’s largest curbside electric vehicle charging program. Additionally, the city has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to make it easier for New Yorkers to use more sustainable transportation. That includes Extension of Fair Fares to half-price subway fares And Creating a similar program for the NYC FerryRecord values ​​for mileage on cycle paths and a historical expansion of the greenway network in the outskirts of the city, move forward Generation-oriented, transport-oriented housing projectsand more.

“Today we are making historic progress by completing the transition of our city fleet from fossil fuels to renewable diesel – a critical step towards tackling the climate crisis,” he said Jenifer Rajkumar, Member of the New York State Assembly. “The only way to avert a future of adverse weather, overwhelmed food systems, rising sea levels and mass extinctions is to take bold steps to reduce our carbon footprint. Our initiative is the largest implementation of renewable diesel on the East Coast. It converts 12,500 vehicles and other equipment to clean fuel, replacing 16 million gallons of fossil fuel. This will reduce our carbon dioxide emissions by 162 million pounds each year, equivalent to the annual emissions of about 5,000 people. I look forward to continuing to work with Mayor Adams to set the standard of excellence for environmental justice in our city and state.”

“I commend Mayor Eric Adams and Commissioner Louis A. Molina for their decision to convert 100 percent of New York City’s 12,500 heavy-duty and off-road vehicles to renewable diesel,” he said Vanessa Gibson, Bronx Borough President. “This critical step will not only reduce air pollution, but also protect the health of our residents and protect our environment. With this bold action, we demonstrate our commitment to a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future for all New Yorkers.”

“Severe weather events caused by climate change have already negatively impacted Queens in many ways. “So it’s great that the city has taken such a big step to address this crisis by reducing its carbon footprint,” he said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “I am proud that New York City has become a recognized leader in the fight against climate change. We need innovative solutions like these to successfully limit global warming.”

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