FY25 Fleet Fuels Report: Fossil Fuel Use Down 67% Since FY13

By Keith T. Kerman (New York City DCAS Fleet Newsletter) ...This achievement includes a net reduction in total fuel use and the transition of 99% of all diesel fuel to biofuels, primarily renewable diesel with 5% biodiesel. The most significant reduction in fuel use was in gasoline, where 4.2 million gallons of annual gasoline have been cut, representing a 33% decrease. Our initiatives in fleet electrification, hybrids, and efficiencies have led the way to this reduction, which should continue as we transition to an all-plug-in fleet by 2035 through Local Law 140.

We achieved a 2% reduction in diesel use, amounting to a smaller 348,000 gallons. The electrification of diesel trucks and off-road equipment will take longer to accomplish than for light- and medium-duty units, and renewable diesel offers a way to make progress for that segment of the fleet now. Diesel fuel use in any given year can also be heavily impacted by major emergencies or new initiatives, such as coastal storms or organic collection, and the trends show more variation from year to year than gasoline, which has steadily declined. READ MORE

Excerpt from New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services: Since 2012, the city has reduced fossil fuel use 67%, representing 20 million fewer gallons of fossil fuel used per year.

Fossil fuel reduction attributed to the transition of heavy-duty fleet and off-road equipment, renewable diesel, and the implementation of fully electric and hybrid vehicles.

DCAS Commissioner Louis A. Molina announced a major milestone in the City of New York’s efforts to reduce fossil fuel usage in the city’s fleet. As per the latest Mayor’s Management Report, the City of New York has reduced fossil fuel usage by 67% percent over the past 13 years, accounting for a reduction of nearly 20 million gallons of fossil fuel per year with the biggest reductions at the New York City Department of Sanitation, New York City Department of Transportation, and NYC Parks.

“New York City is proving that a cleaner, safer future is within our reach,” said Commissioner Louis A. Molina. “Through renewable diesel, electrification, and smarter fleet operations, we are cutting fossil fuel use by millions of gallons every year and driving down emissions. We are proud to highlight this progress as proof that New York City is leading by example in the fight against climate change.”

“Responsible stewardship of the environment is central to everything we do at Parks,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa. “We are proud to have the largest electric vehicle fleet of all city agencies, with over 75% of our fleet being Electric Vehicles (EV) or using alternative fuel. This is all the more important given the amount of land we manage, which is 14% of New York City. By reducing fossil fuel consumption and making sustainable choices, we can better care for our city’s green infrastructure.”

“All New York City residents deserve a clean and green city,” said Acting Sanitation Commissioner Javier Lojan. “The Sanitation Department depends on its fleet of vehicles to help us get our jobs done, and we are proud to be one of the agencies leading the charge to move to a cleaner and more sustainable City.”

“NYC DOT is committed to the sustainable movement of goods and people throughout the city to protect New Yorkers and our planet. This year, we’ve transitioned the busiest municipal ferry system in the country to renewable diesel, moving more than 45,000 daily Staten Island Ferry riders with clean energy,” said New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “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.”

To achieve this reduction, the city has worked over the past decade to modernize its fleet operations, utilizing new fuel types and vehicles, and installed real-time telematics to monitor all vehicles. In October 2024, the city announced that the entirety of its heavy-duty fleet transitioned to cleaner, renewable diesel. In June of this year, DCAS and the Department of Transition also announced that the Staten Island Ferry had completely transitioned to renewable diesel. Over 30 million gallons of renewable diesel has now been successfully utilized with on and off-road equipment, emergency and non-emergency, and in all seasons.

To further these efforts, DCAS is working closely with other agencies to expand the use of renewable diesel across the city’s marine operations, including the Department of Environmental Protection, the New York City Police Department Harbor Patrol, NYC Parks marinas, and the New York City Fire Department to test the fuel and expand usage further.

“DCAS employed a three-part plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in fleet: electrify everything we can as soon as we can, replace fossil diesel with renewable diesel, and implement efficiencies,” said DCAS Deputy Commissioner and NYC Chief Fleet Officer Keith Kerman. “The plan is working, and we have reduced 67% of fossil fuel use from the fleet towards our goal of at least 50% GHG reduction by 2025. On the way, we have built New York State’s largest electric vehicle, biofuel, telematics, and electric charging programs. Our next goal is 80% GHG reduction by 2035 which will be led through further electrification and efficiency.”

Renewable diesel is one avenue the city has pursued to reduce carbon emissions with regard to the fleet; the onboarding of hybrid and fully electric vehicles is another. The City of New York is one of the nation’s largest electric vehicle adopters, with over 5,700 electric and plug-in units in the city fleet, and an additional 4,400 hybrids. In July 2025, DCAS released a report on its NY State leading electric vehicle program. In addition, this past July DCAS has also published a report on the effectiveness of electric batteries, which are 9 times more fuel efficient than gas engines.

These advancements reflect DCAS’ ongoing efforts as a national leader in sustainable, safe, and efficient fleet operations, managing the largest electric vehicle fleet and charging networks in New York State, with 5,700 EVs and 2,300 chargers, respectively. Moving forward, DCAS remains committed to transforming the City’s fleet with more innovative technologies and effectively developing a greener, and safer New York City for all. READ MORE