Industry Advocates Call on New York City to Purchase Heavy-Duty Natural Gas Trucks

On the eve of New York City Council executive budget hearings, Energy Vision and other NGOs and prominent health experts called on the City to stop buying heavy-duty diesel vehicles for its municipal fleets, and to adopt superior alternatives that are available today. Specifically, they ask the City and MTA to allocate funds for natural gas models, equipped with ultra low-emission Near Zero engines running on renewable natural gas (RNG) fuel made from organic wastes, which are the cleanest, lowest carbon, and most cost-effective transportation options.

In addition, the NGO Energy Vision sent the City Council and publicly released a new report, Ending the Diesel Era: Cleaner Fleets for a Healthier New York City, that makes the case for getting off diesel and adopting RNG.

Diesel exhaust is a major source of climate-changing and health damaging emissions, and triggers asthma attacks afflicting 13.3 percent of New York City’s children. London has already stopped procuring new diesel vehicles, other major cities are restricting or eliminating them, and many heavy-duty fleets in the US have already converted to RNG.

New York City’s municipal fleets have yet to adopt RNG and instead continue to rely on heavy-duty diesel vehicles.

“That deserves to end now,” said Joanna Underwood, founder and board member of Energy Vision, “and the budget process could help make it happen. The City Council could play a leadership role by framing its budget guidelines so they encourage City agencies to seize the opportunities they have to deploy better alternatives.”

Those endorsing Energy Vision’s report and joining the call to get NYC fleets off diesel include former NYC Deputy Mayor and former Department of Sanitation (DSNY) commissioner Norman Steisel, former DSNY commissioner Brendan Sexton, Cecil Corbin-Mark of WE ACT for Environmental Justice, Marcia Bystryn of the New York League of Conservation Voters, Dr. Philip J. Landrigan of Mt. Sinai, Kevin R. Cromar, Ph.D. of NYU’s Urban Air Quality Program, and actor Blythe Danner.

Read the full version of this release here.