By Jenny Mills, NEAFA President
As part of NEAFA’s transportation initiatives, a webinar was hosted to further understand the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) Regulation for the dairy and feed industries on Tuesday November 5. Scott Wajda-Griffin, Chief, Heavy-Duty Vehicle Programs Section and James Clyne, Director, Bureau of Mobile Sources & Technology Development from the NYS DEC presented on the regulations which start in 2025 in New York. In addition, Kendra Hems from the NY Trucking Association discussed implications of the ACT regulations on the trucking industry. The webinar was well attended with over 80 participants.
To watch the video of the webinar, please follow this link:
Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) Regulation for the dairy and feed industries - Video on Demand
Some key takeaways from the messaging from DEC:
NYS adopted the Advanced Clean Trucks Act in 2021
Supports NYS legislative goal of 100% zero-emission Medium /Heavy Duty Vehicle sales by 2045 (Ch. 423, 2021)
Includes annual ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicles) sales mandate for applicable Class 2b-8 trucks and school buses
ACT regulatory compliance applies to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) – not fleets or purchasers
Starts with model year 2025 in NYS
OEM exemption: Emergency vehicles, transit buses, motor coaches. The DEC is working to apply exemption to heavy-duty vehicles used for: Snowplowing, including dedicated plows and intermittent plows (e.g., dump trucks and refuse trucks that are converted as needed) as well as street cleaning, including street sweepers and catch basin trucks.
The goal in 2025 is to have 7% of Class 7 and 8 (larger trucks and tractor trailers) vehicle sales as zero emission vehicles
A need for strategy for building infrastructure for ZEV (including charging stations and necessary grid upgrades) especially along main routes (thruway) was brought to DEC’s attention.
The DEC also went through credits and incentive programs. Please see the video link for more information
After the DEC presentation, a robust question and answer session was held. Kendra Hems then discussed the challenges and opportunities with the new regulations for the trucking industry in New York. A follow up meeting will be scheduled as more information is available. The webinar was hosted with several of our collaborators, including the Northeast Dairy Producers Association, PRO-Dairy and Farm Bureau.