The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the availability of $300,000 in rebates from the state's Environmental Protection Fund to municipalities for the purchase or lease of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs).

The DEC will administer the ZEV rebate program through the New York State Grants Gateway, and began accepting applications from municipalities for rebates this month, continuing through July 26, 2019. Costs incurred by a municipality on or after May 1, 2018 to purchase or lease, for at least 36 months, a new ZEV for its fleet are eligible for a rebate of $2,500 for vehicles with a 10- to 50-mile electric range, and $5,000 for vehicles with an electric range of more than 50 miles. Battery electric, plug-in hybrid, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are all eligible.

The state's ZEV investments aim to advance Governor Andrew Cuomo’s goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to DEC reports,  ZEVs can reduce emissions by as much as 35 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 40 miles driven. In the first two rounds of the ZEV Clean Vehicle Program, municipalities purchased 104 clean vehicles, eliminating an estimated 866 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Municipal rebates are a feature of New York’s effort to meet its commitments under the Multi-State ZEV Partnership, which aims to put 3.3 million ZEVs on U.S. roads by 2025.

The DEC rebate complements other efforts by the state to promote the use of electric vehicles. In March 2017, Governor Cuomo launched the Drive Clean Rebate initiative, which provides New York residents with a rebate of up to $2,000 for the purchase or lease of a new electric car from participating dealers. The New York State Energy Research and Development  Authority (NYSERDA) touts the initiative as having provided rebates to more than 10,000 consumers.