Releases 2024 Green Fleet Report 

Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger has released the 2024 Green Fleet Annual Report, which found that the County met and exceeded its target of 20% green vehicles by 2025, reaching 22% of the County’s 472 light-duty vehicles (a total of 104 green vehicles) in 2024. The County adopted a Green Fleet Policy in 2015, and then strengthened the policy in 2023 to align with County Executive Metzger’s Executive Order on Climate, issued in January of that year. Vehicles that are considered “green” include battery hybrid vehicles, plug-in electric hybrid vehicles, and fully electric vehicles. 

The annual report provides data on the County government’s fleet inventory, fuel use, and emissions, assesses progress in meeting the goals of the County’s Green Fleet Policy, and makes recommendations based on the report’s findings. The report can be found at https://ulstercountyny.gov/environment/sustainability-energy/green-fleet-initiative.

Other highlights of the report: 

• Nearly half of all light-duty fleet purchases in 2024 were green.
• The County departments with the most green vehicles are Social Services, Health, and Veteran Services.
• The County has installed 91 Electric Vehicle (EV) charging plugs, with more planned for this year, including charging hubs with fast-chargers at the County building at 1061 Development Court in the Town of Ulster and at the County’s Trudy Farber Building in Ellenville.

The report makes a number of recommendations, including: 

• Education and training for relevant staff to make sure plug-in hybrids are being utilized for maximum efficiency and energy savings.
• Identifying opportunities to reduce fleet size and promote shared vehicles.
• Continuing electrification of UCAT buses as well as non-road and landscaping equipment. (UCAT will be adding two more all-electric buses in 2025.) 

“We are ahead of schedule in greening our fleet of County vehicles, which not only reduces harmful emissions but also saves money on vehicle maintenance and fuel,” said Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger. “Ulster County will continue to lead on clean energy solutions because it’s the right thing to do for the planet, for taxpayers, and for our children’s future. I want to give a special thanks to DPW Deputy Commissioner Kim Millian, who manages the County fleet and deserves a lot of the credit for surpassing the County’s 2025 green fleet target.” 

“We are thrilled that Ulster County is ahead of schedule in meeting Green Fleet goals, and we will continue our efforts to build out the charging infrastructure to support the transition to a 100% green fleet by 2035,” said Europa McGovern, Ulster County Department of the Environment Director. “We are excited to share that the County’s new Community EV Charging Hub at Development Court in the Town of Ulster is about to come online, with both Level 2 Fast Charging plugs available for public use.”

"As fleet manager, I've seen firsthand the significant cost savings that come with transitioning to green vehicles,” said Kim Millian, Deputy Director of Ulster County DPW and Fleet Manager. “We've been tracking these maintenance costs since 2017, when we added plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles to our fleet, and the results have been astonishing. For instance, since 2017, our maintenance costs for an all-gas car were $8,100, whereas our plug-in hybrid vehicles required only $4,100, and our all-electric vehicles needed a mere $500. That's a whopping 93% reduction in maintenance costs! The reduced wear and tear on electric vehicles, combined with lower operating costs, has led to substantial savings over time. This is not just a feel-good initiative — it's a smart business decision that benefits our bottom line and the environment. As we continue to grow our fleet of green vehicles, we're confident that we'll see even greater returns on our investment."

"Exceeding our environmental goals with our Green Fleet program is exciting in a number of ways," said Legislator Chris Hewitt, chair of the County's Energy, Environment and Sustainability committee. "The Green Fleet report shows that our County officials are dedicated to making rapid progress in moving toward a regenerative economy, that our goals have been realistic, and that we have the local political will to address environmental concerns. I applaud the Department of Environment, Department of Public Works and the County's executive team for remaining dedicated to upgrading our local infrastructure and fleet to be more green and regenerative. This is a tremendous step forward on our path to using 70% renewable energy in the County by 2030."

"We applaud County Executive Jen Metzger and the County staff who have worked hard to ensure that half of all fleet purchases in 2024 were electric,” said Betta Broad, Campaign Director of New Yorkers for Clean Power, and Director of Advocacy at the Association for Energy Affordability. "It is especially inspiring that despite the rollback of clean energy programs at the federal level, in Ulster County we remain committed to implementing modern, clean technologies that drive towards a healthier future for all of us."

BACKGROUND

In January 2023, County Executive Metzger issued Executive Order #1 to align the County’s climate and energy goals with the NYS Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. The Executive Order called for strengthening the County’s Green Fleet Policy, and the Legislature adopted changes consistent with the Executive Order in August 2023. All purchases of cars and light-duty trucks must be zero-emissions vehicles, where feasible. This fleet, along with UCAT buses and non-road equipment, must be 100% zero emissions by 2035. Medium- and heavy-duty trucks and equipment are to be zero-emissions by 2040, where feasible.

In a related initiative, the County will open a second round of EV charging grants this summer for towns and villages, thanks to an ARPA-funded program created by the County Legislature.