NYC DCAS Celebrates Major Gains in Renewable Energy, Zero Emission Vehicles | City of New York

Department of Citywide Administrative Services


Press Release


NYC DCAS Celebrates Major Gains in Renewable Energy, Zero Emission Vehicles, And Employing First-of-its-Kind Hiring Model to Help Close the City’s Vacancy Gap in 2023

December 21, 2023

NEW YORK - As 2023 winds to a close, New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Dawn M. Pinnock is looking back on a successful year, as the agency continues to ensure that the City of New York works for all New Yorkers. With an eye towards equity, effectiveness, and sustainability, and complete with new, clean electric vehicles, good-paying jobs for New Yorkers, and an expansion of the city’s solar power capacity, DCAS delivered major gains for the city in 2023.

“I could not be more proud of what we have accomplished in 2023 under this administration,” said DCAS Commissioner Dawn M. Pinnock. “In this past year, we’ve hit milestone after milestone, including doubling the City’s solar capacity and reducing emissions from government operations; modernizing and reimagining our hiring models to bring more than 2,000 jobs to everyday New Yorkers; and growing our electric fleet and infrastructure, even becoming the East Coast’s first large-scale adopter of renewable diesel for our heavy-duty trucks. These remarkable achievements have happened in tandem with all the other ways we serve New Yorkers daily from maintaining our public buildings to procuring goods that help other agencies thrive. We are excited for all the new ways we’ll make city government work in the new year.”

“The DCAS mission to make city government work for all New Yorkers continues to be at the heart of our efforts every single day,” said Executive Deputy Commissioner for Citywide Operations, Beatrice Thuo. “This past year we pioneered a revolutionary hiring hall model that brought city agencies into the communities they serve for on-the-spot hiring, and committed to an all hands approach to fighting climate change. We are installing 200 fast chargers annually that will become the backbone of our city’s electric vehicle future and began installing 10MW of solar PV on the Wards Island Wastewater Recovery Facility -- the largest clean energy installation at a wastewater facility in the world! And we did all of this while also increasing equity and access to underserved communities to do business in the city, and further the critical mandates and commitments of this administration.”

2023 DCAS Highlights:

Transitioning the city’s fleet to renewable fuel: In November 2023, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and DCAS outlined a plan that will make New York City the first city on the East Coast to transition all heavy-duty vehicles in the city’s fleet from fossil to renewable fuel. The city’s fleet currently includes more than 12,600 on- and off-road trucks and specialized equipment that operate on diesel fuel - but by the end of Fiscal Year 2024, they will all operate on renewable diesel with most trucks already transitioned to the fuel.

Transforming the city’s fleet to zero emission vehicles: In October 2023, Mayor Adams signed Local Law 140, formally codifying the city’s goal of transitioning its vehicle and truck fleets to electric plug in vehicles by 2038. The legislation cements New York City’s status as a national leader in promoting sustainability across areas of city government operations. DCAS already operates the largest electric fleet (nearly 5,000) and electric charging network (over 1,800) in NY State. These fleet initiatives build on the Adams administration’s work to improve sustainability across city buildings, public schools, food production and consumption, and city-licensed vehicles.

NYC DCAS doubles the city’s solar capacity: Since November 2020, the City of New York has completed 10 megawatts (MW) of solar photovoltaic (PV) projects on City properties; doubling the City’s total capacity to a total of 22 MW. This achievement equates to removing over 1,500 cars from city streets per year and reducing annual greenhouse gas emissions by 8,800 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e).

Milestone number of jobs offered to New Yorkers: In 2023, more than 2,000 jobs were offered to New Yorkers as part of the city’s ongoing hiring events, dubbed New York City government hiring halls. Spearheaded by DCAS, these weekly events were designed to address unprecedented employment challenges and fortify the city’s workforce by bringing opportunities directly to the communities we serve.

“In 2015, the city announced a goal to reduce at least 50 percent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the City fleet by 2025 (50x25). Under the leadership of Mayor Eric Adams and DCAS Commissioner Dawn Pinnock, through fleet electrification, renewable diesel adoption for trucks and off-road equipment, and fleet efficiencies and reduction, and thanks to major strides taken this year, we are well on pace to get this done,” stated DCAS Deputy Commissioner and NYC Chief Fleet Officer Keith Kerman.

"DCAS is at the forefront of developing and implementing strategies to fortify the city’s workforce, and this year, I’m proud to have championed many transformative initiatives designed to eliminate barriers to employment and attract top talent,” stated Katrina Porter, the City’s Chief Human Capital Officer. “Through the implementation of innovative retention and recruitment approaches, coupled with a comprehensive reevaluation of the city’s hiring processes, DCAS strives to cultivate an environment that appeals to the city's best and brightest, and we will continue this work into the new year and beyond.”

"As the City's newly appointed Chief Decarbonization Officer, I could not be more excited to join this all-hands-on deck moment as we aggressively work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase clean energy generation, and make our city government operations as energy efficient as possible," said DCAS Deputy Commissioner of Energy Management and the City's Chief Decarbonization Officer Sana Barakat. "DCAS' reach is far – from achieving the highest demand response enrollment with over 600 facilities, completing an agreement to install the largest solar system on a wastewater resource recovery facility in the world, and receiving approval for new civil service titles specific to energy staff which will help the City recruit for and grow its green workforce, we are getting sustainability done! Because, in addition to reducing our carbon footprint, improving the lives of the people who live and work in New York City is our top priority."

About the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services:

The NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) makes city government work for all New Yorkers. Our commitment to equity, effectiveness, and sustainability guides our work providing City agencies with the resources and support needed to succeed, including:

Recruiting, hiring, and training City employees

Managing 55 public buildings

Acquiring, selling, and leasing City property

Purchasing over $1 billion in goods and services for City agencies

Overseeing the greenest municipal vehicle fleet in the country

Leading the City’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions from government operations

Learn more about DCAS by visiting nyc.gov/dcas or by following us on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and listening to the Inside Citywide podcast.