SPECIAL REPORT
program, noted Nordin, Oregon also has a similar pro- gram, and Washington state legislators are considering a clean fuels bill. Already, the Pacific Coast Collaborative consisting of California, Oregon, Washington, and Brit- ish Columbia strategically aligns policies to reduce GHG and promote clean energy. A dozen other states including Connecticut, New York
and New Jersey are also considering such programs. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) in the Northeast has long run a multi-state carbon market for electric generation, which could help lay the ground- work for a fuels program. And Illinois is considering energy legislation and a policy that could include carbon markets. Davar said he soon expects to see districts ob- taining and selling carbon credits from electric buses in Colorado and New York. “I do think there’s a lot of potential to run a program in
any state,” added Johnstone. “With a lot of federal sup- port there could be more momentum. As some earlier programs mature and more results are communicated, we will start to see states have more information to work with to develop confidence around the topic and devel- op a program that suits their economy and their needs.” The payoff from participating in carbon markets is not
generally enough to facilitate a school switching out its fleet or even buying a new electric bus, and smaller dis- tricts with shorter routes and less charging needs will earn less revenue. But combined with other grants and incen- tives, including the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust funds, carbon credits can help districts electrify. “It’s definitely a growing opportunity. It’s essentially
money on the table for something they’re going to do anyway,” Davar commented. “That being said, it is a mar- ket, so the more people who do it, there is more supply, which means prices will go down.” For the foreseeable future however, carbon markets
could present an important opportunity for districts looking to electrify transportation. “Prices have been going up for years now,” Davar add- ed. “There are a lot of carbon emitters that need to offset their emissions.” ●
Watch a recent webinar on how districts could turn electric school buses into a revenue stream by selling Low Carbon Fuel Standard emissions credits at
stnonline.com/go/8u.
28 School Transportation News • MAY 2021
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