Yale University has set a target to achieve net zero emissions by 2035, progressing to zero actual carbon emissions by 2050. The university has long been at the forefront sustainability and climate efforts, setting its first target in 2005. It is also home to the oldest continuous professional graduate forestry school in the nation and Nobel Prize recipient William Nordhaus, whose work catalyzed pricing carbon emissions globally and at home. To achieve 2035 and 2050 targets, addressing vehicle fleet and equipment emissions will be key. Beyond greenhouse gas emissions reductions, alternative fuels stand to make campuses healthier and quieter for workers, students, and the broader New Haven community.
On March 4, 2025, Ronald (Ron) Gitelman and William (Bill) Carone joined Clean Transportation Communities of Southern CT for a round table discussion on how and why Yale University is transitioning to cleaner fuels in support of a greener, healthier campus. (View recording.)
Yale Fleet
With a 23 year tenure at Yale, Ron currently serves as a Senior Fleet Administrator with the Fleet Management team. Managing a fleet of around 580 vehicles – from buses to public safety to facilities – the Fleet team must consider a range of use cases from local to national.
The team has worked to integrate a range of alternative fuels. An essential first step was creating a fleet inventory in 2008. Having established an understanding of vehicle types and use cases, Fleet could start to explore channels to transition. Efforts to integrate electric vehicles began in 2012, starting with a Ford Transit Connect electric upfit. As an early adopter, the team faced challenges servicing vehicles when an initial partner went bankrupt. Yet as time has progressed, the fleet has adopted 13 electric vehicles including Ford, Chevrolet, and Toyota, facilitating the servicing and warranty provisions compared to the early upfitting experience. Yale Printing & Publishing Services praised its Ford E-Transit van, noting results have been “more positive than we could have imagined,” moving heavy deliveries with ease and saving over $2,800 on its first 1,352 miles (with charging costs of approximately $0.30/kWh). Most recently, the Yale Police Department is preparing for a pilot with its first all-electric Chevy Blazer.
For larger vehicles like buses, the team started by exploring natural gas. While operations performed well, refueling proved challenging without onsite infrastructure and complicated driver schedules to fuel at partner facilities in West Haven and the Port. Today, they’ve shifted larger vehicles to renewable diesel, a “drop-in” fuel that requires no retrofitting of current vehicles. The team deploys the alternative on all but the coldest days (5-10° F).
With regard to process, each division has purchasing power but works closely with Fleet to identify and purchase vehicles. To encourage the transition, Fleet has implemented a policy that requires all new passenger or SUV vehicles to be electric or hybrid (unless special circumstances are identified like longer travel for athletic trips). This centralization has allowed the Fleet team to become experts in offerings and work closely with each division on their needs. Tools like Argonne National Laboratory’s AFLEET model have helped quantify emissions reductions and telematics data offer insights on vehicle performance, ultimately bolstering decision making.
Yale Facilities
Turning to the grounds keeping division, Bill Carone, Supervisor of Landscaping & Maintenance Services and Interim Director of Facilities, shared his team’s efforts to shift landscaping equipment to electric across five campuses and various types of equipment like weed whackers, leaf and snow blowers, lawn mowers, chainsaws, and hedge trimmers. Beginning the transition in 2013, Central Campus operations are now 95% electric and Science Campus around 60% (see map). Reactions to the equipment have been generally positive with reduced noise and health benefits in switching to quieter, cleaner versions than rumbling two-stroke engines. By some estimates, operating a commercial leaf blower for an hour can have the same air pollution impact of driving a car 1,100 miles and a commercial lawn mower the equivalent of 300 miles. The quieter nature improves worker safety and health, allowing crews to shift hours away from hottest parts of the day and reducing noise and pollutant exposure. It is also less disruptive for class learning and student sleeping environments.
While a high percentage of equipment has been converted, especially for smaller hand-held equipment, the remaining conversions prove challenging financially. Electric variants of larger equipment like ride-on mowers can be three to four times as expensive. While the team has seen financial savings with ongoing and preventative maintenance without the need for oil and spark plug changes, the upfront cost difference is challenging to overcome.
Performance is also dependent on campus size and conditions. Electric models have performed well in courtyards of Downtown/Core Campus because smaller parcels allow crews to cover four to five colleges in one charge. Yet given the size of Science Campus or West Campus, equipment sometimes needs a battery change. Bill applauds sales representatives for coming to campus for demos that allow staff to test equipment and get familiar with models. While he’s seen year over year improvement, one tool he is keeping an eye on is the electric snow blower. Models have performed well with lighter, fluffier snow but this year’s heavier snow fall over multiple storms proved challenging for electric variants, cutting the battery life down substantially.
Next steps include exploring new charging facilities to accommodate mid-shift battery swaps and converting fleet vehicles. Targeting leaf blowers as the most polluting pieces, the team’s goal is to fully convert small equipment across all five campuses by summer 2025. Right now, most charging happens downtown, and such an expansion will require additional charging points. The team is working closely with partners to see which buildings can accommodate more charging load, starting with North Campus. Bill proposed that a future policy could require all new buildings and remodeling to include charging for landscaping equipment. Facilities has been intentional in purchasing electric variants that can share batteries across the smaller tool types (with the exception of the ride-on mower with its unique lithium-ion configuration) to improve this planning. In addition to equipment conversion, Bill is also exploring transitioning carts (two of four are currently electric), pick-up trucks, and recycling and compost trucks, keeping his eye on model availability for a full operational transition.
Moving Forward
A major need during this transition to alternative fuels is sharing out learning. Ron and Bill actively engage with peers across Ivy League universities, departments in New York City, and at conferences. Generously sharing their insights through this forum, they serve as leaders peers can turn to as they chart their own paths to greener, cleaner campuses.