Assemblyman Andrew Goodell, R-Jamestown, makes a point about a proposed buy-American requirement as the state purchase electric vehicles for its fleet. P-J file photo

Legislation passed in 2022 and updated earlier this month will require the state’s electric vehicle fleet to be either American-made or substantially all-American made.

Right now, those vehicles don’t exist.

That was the crux of criticism from Assemblyman Andrew Goodell, R-Jamestown, earlier this week when the state Assembly debated A.990, a chapter amendment tweaking legislation signed into law in 2022 that requires the state’s vehicle fleet to transition to electric vehicles by 2035. Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy, D-Albany, sponsored the amendment adding a Buy American requirement for lease or purchase of zero emission vehicles as well as a process to waive the new requirements if needed.

“This is a great feel-good bill because it purports to be all-American and it requires our state DOT and every other state agency vehicle to be purchased that’s all-American or substantially all-American,” Goodell said during floor debate this week. “There’s a minor problem with the bill. It’s not in the way it’s drafted. I commend my colleague for her draftmanship. The problem is there’s not a single electric vehicle being commercially produced in the United States that meets these requirements. So if we pass a law that says all of our electric vehicles have to meet these requirements and no vehicle meets these requirements, what are we saying? That we want a feel good bill that we know from the get-go can’t be met. Is that what we’re about?”

Goodell also reiterated concerns he raised about the legislation during floor debate in 2022, including using power produced by coal plants in Pennsylvania to power New York’s electric vehicles over fears New York’s electric grid won’t be able to handle the load as it changes to renewable fuels. Goodell also noted emergency vehicles that use electric power will likely have to use natural gas-powered generators to make sure the emergency vehicles are able to respond when needed.

Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples-Stokes, D-Buffalo, defended the bill while also politely criticizing the amount of the Assembly’s time being spent on a chapter amendment to legislation that passed last year.

“It may have been a feel good bill last year but now it’s an even better feel good bill this year because it’s attached to a chapter amendment,” Peoples-Stokes said. “By the way, a 45-minute chapter amendment on a bill we already passed last year? I enjoyed the conversation. I think most of my colleagues enjoyed the conversation. But Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, American business is resilient and so if people think there isn’t the availability of these types of vehicles now, wait until tomorrow.”

The chapter amendment passed the Assembly 108-35 with Goodell and Assemblyman Joe Giglio, R-Gowanda, both voting against it. Companion legislation (S.1343) was approved 60-3 by the state Senate on Monday with state Sen. George Borrello, R-Sunset Bay, voting against it.

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The chapter amendment was signed into law earlier this month by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

The legislation also provides job retraining requirements for current state employees so they have the opportunity to keep their job as the transition to electric vehicles happens. The amendment passed this week would require the Office of General Services to create and implement a report that among other information, includes a comprehensive plan and estimated budget to transition, train, or retrain employees that are impacted by the purchase or lease of zero-emission vehicles.