Check Out the New E-Buses at SoBu Nite Out* on Thursday
South Burlington, Vt. – South Burlington students will be riding to school pollution-free this year, thanks to four new electric buses that have joined the school district’s fleet. Innovative vehicle-to-grid (V2G) bus chargers will also allow the buses to provide stored energy to the grid during energy peaks which further reduces carbon emissions and costs for all Green Mountain Power (GMP) customers across Vermont.
“We are excited to be able to offer our students the opportunity to ride on emissions-free transportation for the first time in our District’s history, ” Communications Coordinator Corey Burdick said, “We will have two electric buses on route this fall with two more anticipated soon. This initiative furthers the district’s goals around climate change mitigation and is in alignment with the ways we have been partnering with the city on renewable energy. We are grateful to our local partners who helped make this a reality and can’t wait to see our students’ reactions on the first day of school!”
To help fund the project, the District received a grant in the amount of $965,000 through the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation with funding from Vermont’s Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust Funds. GMP provided additional incentives toward the buses and V2G chargers based on the amount of carbon emissions the project is expected to reduce – the equivalent of taking 905 gas powered cars off the road.
“We are pleased to apply Volkswagen Settlement funding towards taking steps in providing cleaner air and a brighter future for Vermont’s students,” said Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner John Beling. “The electric school buses deployed in South Burlington will reduce the risk of exposure to harmful diesel emissions for the students, bus drivers, schools, and communities they serve.”
South Burlington school officials did not have to become energy experts to do this project, because Highland Electric Fleets provides all the equipment and services needed to implement the project and keep the buses running smoothly, making the upgrade to electric simple and affordable.
“By removing the upfront cost and complexity, Highland helps school districts across the country upgrade to electric buses that can reliably transport students and also provide power to local electric grids during periods of peak demand,” said Ben Schutzman, vice president of fleet operations at Highland. “We are excited to work with South Burlington and Green Mountain Power to deliver cleaner transportation for students, a better experience for drivers, and a more resilient grid for the community.”
GMP provided $55,000 in financial incentives to help South Burlington switch from fossil fuel through its Business Innovation program, which is open to all GMP business customers. The District will also share energy with the grid during peak energy use times, like heat waves, through V2G chargers and GMP’s groundbreaking Flexible Load Management program, which is proving that buildings and buses can serve as batteries to help reduce costs and carbon directly for customers during energy peaks.
“Vehicle-to-grid is an important part of our growing network of stored energy which is delivering results now for Vermont by saving millions in costs for customers while cutting carbon and making communities more resilient,” said Mari McClure, GMP’s president and CEO who also serves on the Electric School Bus Advisory Council for the World Resources Institute. “We’re so proud that Vermont is leading the way in this critical energy transition and that more Vermont students can travel to school with cleaner air.”
You can check out one of the buses for yourself at SoBu NiteOut* on Thursday, August 25 from 5-8 pm at Veterans Memorial Park. Representatives from the School District, GMP, Highland and the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation will be there to answer questions. Pictures of the buses and chargers are also attached.
What: Electric School Buses at SoBu NiteOut *
Where: Veterans Memorial Park, 1000 Dorset Street, South Burlington
When: August 25, 5-8 pm
* Weather dependent!
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