CDTA considers electric bus pilot program
"The Capital District Transportation Authority is considering a pilot program of about five to ten battery-electric buses, CEO Carm Basile said at a board committee meeting on Thursday."
"CDTA’s interest in electric buses was already known—it has secured (but not yet spent) a federal grant to cover about one vehicle and charging station, and its latest five-year capital plan signals an interest in buying more—but the open discussion during a planning and stakeholder relations committee meeting last week underscored the many complications and tradeoffs the public authority must consider as it moves away from fossil fuels."
"One issue involves power and related capital upgrades. CDTA’s headquarters on Watervliet Ave. in Albany, likely the first place the authority would install depot chargers, might need a $1 to $3 million upgrade, one staffer said. Multiple chargers running simultaneously might use as much electricity as the whole building currently uses."