Renewable Fuel For City Ferries Proposed By Queens Councilman

ASTORIA, QUEENS -- New York City will soon weigh the possibility of powering its ferries with renewable fuel as part of a bill passed through the City Council in late December.

Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2017 announced the city was expanding its ferry services to include routes in Astoria, Rockaway and South Brooklyn. This bill, proposed by Councilman Costa Constantinides (D-Astoria), aims to make those routes more environmentally friendly by encouraging city ferries to use alternatives to the standard petroleum diesel fuel.

Constantinides' bill, which the city council unanimously passed on Dec. 19, includes a two-year study on the feasibility of city ferries using alternative fuels like biodiesel, and hybrid or fuel-cell electric technologies to reduce their carbon footprint. The bill would apply to both city-owned and city-operated ferries.

Both options would scale back air pollution left behind from the ferries' current fuel, which is linked to health problems like asthma and lung disease, Constantinides said. Standard petroleum diesel fuel also emits greenhouse gases in its exhaust, which contribute to climate change.

"As use of our citywide ferry systems has grown exponentially, we must innovate the type of energy we use to fuel the boats," said Constantinides, who chairs the city council's Environmental Protection Committee.

The study would look at the issues of availability, storage and ferry compatibility of renewable fuels, while also examining the regulatory requirements, recommendations and other barriers of using them. After finishing the study, lawmakers will vote on whether city ferries should use the alternative fuel and technologies.

Lead photo vis Mark Lennihan/Associated Press.

Passengers aboard a NYC Ferry watch as the boat departs Sunset Park, Brooklyn, for Rockaway, Queens, on May 1, 2017.