Suffolk To Invest $12M In Electric Vehicles, Charging Infrastructure

LINDENHURST, NY — Suffolk County is investing $12 million to buy electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey announced on Friday.

The county plans to transition to an electric vehicle (EV) fleet by 2030. Bellone estimates having all 3,000 vehicles in the county fleet run on electricity would reduce the county's carbon footprint by 13,800 metric tons per year, as well as save $3 million per year in fuel and maintenance costs.

"That's a win-win scenario," Bellone said. "It's a win for our planet. It's a win for our taxpayers. It's what we must be doing. It's important if we're going to build out this infrastructure, this is always the case, government has to take the lead in building that infrastructure."

The county hopes the measures will help reduce harmful emissions, strengthen infrastructure and mitigate risks posed by climate change to create a healthier, more sustainable environment for residents. This week, the county received its first two electric vehicles, both Nissan Leafs.

The announcement came on Earth Day, a day geared towards bringing awareness to the Earth and promoting conservation.

"Earth Day is not just a day," Bellone said. "It's about the multiple problems and crises that are affecting us and our world that are happening. Things like [Hurricane] Sandy. Also extreme weather events, which we've seen many, many of over the years. We're on the front lines of this crisis on Long Island. We have to be in the lead on that."

Bellone also plans to partner with local libraries and municipalities to expand countywide charging capabilities. Lindenhurst Memorial Library, where the news conference took place on Friday, already has charging stations installed.

In May, similar to President Joe Biden’s Executive Order, Bellone signed an executive order that directed the Department of Public Works to develop a plan to convert the county’s vehicle fleet to electric by 2030. The Electric Fleet Implementation report serves as a blueprint for how Suffolk County intends to move forward to procure a 100 percent green fleet.

McCaffrey said society owes it to future generations to preserve the environment.

"You look at all this beautiful water that we have; the beaches, the streams, the lakes. They don't belong to us," McCaffrey said. "We're already borrowing them from our children and our grandchildren. We need to give them back. [The electric vehicle funding] is a good first step to be able to reduce carbon emissions, to make this the kind of place that we need to have clean energy be a part of our life in Suffolk County."