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Officials celebrate major milestone after revolutionizing vehicle fleet: 'How it can and should be done'

Residents are sure to continue to see upgrades and improvements.

New York City just reached a remarkable clean energy goal, significantly reducing its fossil fuel usage over the past 13 years.

Photo Credit: iStock

New York City just reached a remarkable clean energy goal.

According to the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, the city "reduced fossil fuel usage by 67% over the past 13 years, accounting for a reduction of nearly 20 million gallons of fossil fuel per year."

A large portion of the reduction came from the city's efforts to streamline and upgrade its sanitation, public transportation, and park vehicles. The significant progress is crucial in demonstrating that reaching sustainable energy thresholds is not only plausible but possible.

Key examples that led to such a positive outcome include city fleet vehicles going fully electric and the Staten Island Ferry entirely transitioning to renewable diesel.

"We have built New York State's largest electric vehicle, biofuel, telematics, and electric charging programs," DCAS Deputy Commissioner Keith Kerman said. "Our next goal is 80% [greenhouse gas emissions] reduction by 2035 which will be led through further electrification and efficiency."

Those living in New York are sure to continue to see upgrades and improvements around the city that keep their air cleaner, better their transport, and make their environment safer. Public health inevitably improves with lessened pollution.

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As the fossil fuel industry remains one of the biggest contributors to the warming and destruction of the planet, such strides show other cities and states that it is worth making changes to the energy sources they use.

While the process of extracting and producing fossil fuel is costly, both monetarily and environmentally, cleaner alternatives to petroleum diesel, including renewable diesel, biofuel, and electric batteries, noticeably decrease the strain.

It is crucial to continue to push for more cities to take the initiative, and New York is a prime example of why. There is evidence in its achievements, and replicating the commitment to clean energy in other areas will make even more productive waves for citizens. 

NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said it best: "When we all work together to green our transportation system, we can achieve our climate goals faster, showing the rest of the country how it can and should be done."

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