If you have concerns, maybe even doubts, about the . . . practicality of changing from diesel to electric school buses, I don’t think you’re alone.
“How are your bus drivers and mechanics doing with your 25 electric school buses?” I asked, a little anxiously, knowing that change is hard for all of us. I was on the phone with Raymond Manalo, fleet manager at Twin Rivers Unified School District in Sacramento, which has the largest electric school bus fleet in the U.S.
“At first they were nervous about the high voltage,” Raymond said. “But training and familiarity have solved that problem. Now they love the buses — much quieter than diesel. And our range anxiety is behind us. But something else is more important.”
“What’s more important?” I asked. Maybe I was a little obsessed about whether the bus drivers and mechanics could navigate the change from decades of diesel over to electric, just within the 2 ½ years they’ve had them.
“The students REALLY love the electric buses. That’s the important thing, because the students are our customers.” Raymond went on to explain that TRUSD requires their three electric bus vendors (Lion, Blue Bird and Trans Tech) to paint the wheels and bumpers blue. This creates interest, easy recognition and learning in the community. Kids know what these zero-emissions buses are about, and they want to ride them to school. They ride them home and tell their parents about them. They have electric bus t-shirts that say “We’re all charged up.”
“How do you decide which routes to put the electric buses onto?” I asked.
“We prioritize the most disadvantaged communities [a usual condition of electric school bus funding]. Also, we put them on the longest routes, because the more miles the electric bus goes, the more fuel savings we glean.” TRSD is using Level 2 charging (less costly than direct/fast charging) and avoiding any demand charges, with the cooperation of its local utility.
TRUSD requires their three electric bus vendors (Lion, Blue Bird and Trans Tech) to paint the wheels and bumpers blue. This creates interest, easy recognition and learning in the community.
TRUSD and other California school districts running electric school buses have a robust funding base, including from the state’s carbon cap and trade program, that Oregon doesn’t. With the purchase cost of electric school buses 2.5-4x that of diesel, money is a barrier that doesn’t have a silver bullet. But I am starting to find a few BB guns to help shoot down the initial cost barrier.
Funding
Oregon’s Volkswagen mitigation (dieselgate) funding got opened up last month by the passage of HB 2007. (This is above and beyond the earlier decision to replace 450 diesel school buses). DEQ is building the funding program that will take applications — electric school buses will be eligible. Sign up here to receive notifications.
SB 1044, also recently passed, lets school districts use public purpose charge moneys for school district fleet audits (i.e., total cost of ownership, not just purchase price, is relevant) and for zero-emission vehicles and charging stations.
Portland General Electric is planning to fund two electric school buses for two school districts (total of four buses). The districts must be in its service territory, i.e. the bus yard pays its power bill to PGE. Funding is to cover the cost difference between diesel and electric, plus charging infrastructure. For more information contact Elizabeth Turnbull at elizabeth.turnbull@pgn.com.
Pacific Power has an ongoing grant program for charging infrastructure in its service territory, school districts are eligible. The deadline to apply for the current round is August 15, 2019. For more information contact Eva Decesaro at Eva.Decesaro@pacificorp.com.
Both PGE and Pacific Power, which are investor-owned utilities, will then keep the Clean Fuel Program (CFP) credits generated at the charging infrastructure they’ll install and maintain. (CFP credits have risen in value from $50 to $150, and are a good topic for a future newsletter.)
Help move electric school buses forward in Oregon:
- Forward this newsletter to interested parties, esp parent teacher associations, since parents’ support is important
- Let the Oregon Department of Education know you’d like OAR 581-053-0240 amended to become inclusive of electric school buses. Contact brock.dittus@state.or.us
- Consider signing the online petition to secure federal funding for electric school buses at http://www.cleanride4kids.org/
Photo Credits: Twin Rivers Unified School District
Alison Wiley (she/her/hers)
I am on the ancestral lands of the Multnomah, Chinook and Cowlitz peoples.
Whose land are you on?