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ommunication between school districts and utilities on electric school bus projects remains a challenge in many parts of the country. In February, the U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency pledged to bridge any gaps by announcing a partnership with the Edison Electric Institute and Beneficial Electric League to foster collab- oration. But several regions have been out in front of the issues.
Case in point: Dominion Energy’s Electric School Bus
Infrastructure Program launched in 2020, ahead of the EPA Clean School Bus Program, to deploy 50 electric school buses in 16 districts. The program provides local energy grid upgrades, 15-year charger maintenance, site preparation and construction, 50-percent battery war- ranty savings, and fast charger installation. Phase two of the program seeks to increase the num-
ber of electric buses awarded to 1,000 by 2025, at which time Dominion said 50 percent of all diesel school bus replacements in its service area should be electric—and those buses attached to the grid could power more than 10,000 homes. By 2030, the goal is 100 percent electric school bus purchases. Electric school buses are estimated to be 60 percent less expensive to operate and maintain with school transportation operators calculating an annual $7,000 savings in reduced fuel, operation and maintenance costs over diesel, according to Dominion Energy. Additionally, it is believed that replacing a diesel bus
with an electric bus eliminates 54,000 pounds of green- house gas emissions annually, offering cleaner air inside and outside the bus. All school districts in Dominion Energy Virginia’s
service territory awarded EPA’s CSB rebates and grants are eligible. For EPA designated priority school districts, the minimum requirements to participate is three Ve- hicle-to-Grid (V2G) electric school buses and two V2G chargers. For other eligible school districts, the min- imum is six V2G electric school buses and three V2G chargers.
School districts sign a 15-year participation agreement
with Dominion Energy Virginia after which Dominion Energy is then given the V2G rights and ownership of the batteries. Meanwhile, DTE Energy’s Charging Forward eFleets
EV program in Michigan is aimed at supporting the adoption of electric fleet vehicles—including electric school buses—to help meet Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. “Our eFleets program is designed to make it easier and
more affordable for schools and other organizations in Michigan to transition to electric vehicles, reduce their
70 School Transportation News • JULY 2023
carbon footprint and support a more sustainable future,” said Milena Marku, manager of DTE Energy electric ve- hicle strategy and programs. The initiative offers financial incentives, technical assistance, advisory services and education to support schools and other organizations transitioning to elec- tric vehicles. Customized electrification plans include the number and type of buses to be replaced, charging infrastructure needs and related charging energy man- agement strategies. DTE Energy’s eFleets Charger rebates program offers $2,500 per Level 2 port and up to $70,000 for DC fast chargers installed, which helps school districts fill fund- ing gaps even if they are participating with and after receiving CSBP funding, Marku said. The utility helped write the Michigan Department
of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy Volkswagen settlement grants for two school districts in 2019, which provided 70 percent of the funding for six all-electric school buses and fast chargers. Additional funding for the related infrastructure buildout was made possible through DTE Energy’s make-ready charger rebate program. Last year, DTE Energy’s campaign on the EPA’s CSBP
rebates resulted in eight districts in its service territory receiving up to $26 million for 66 buses. To date, about half of the school buses awarded have finalized plans for bus purchases and have also applied for eFleets charger rebates, said Marku. Another Midwest utility, Xcel Energy, has worked with
several school districts in its service territories to obtain rebates lowering incremental costs of electric school buses. The company is awaiting approval of its Minne- sota and Colorado V2G school bus pilot projects. “Xcel Energy also offers make-ready programs pro- viding the infrastructure to support vehicle charging for qualifying customers, including the design, build and construction of the charging infrastructure,” shared An- dré Gouin, Xcel Energy business technology consultant. The company maintains the charger for a monthly fee
to eligible customers to help them avoid up-front capital investments. Xcel Energy is working to potentially add back-up power resources such as solar plus battery stor- age and microgrids.
“Electrifying school bus fleets will improve air qual-
ity for everyone, even if they don’t ride the bus,” said Gouin. “Low-income and [black, indigenous and people of color] communities typically have higher levels of air pollution, according to a 2021 Science Advances study. Moving toward a cleaner mode of transportation is particularly important for diverse student populations in these communities.”
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