MCPS Celebrates Largest School Bus Electrification Project in the United States
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), one of the nation's largest school districts, and Highland Electric Fleets (Highland), the leading provider of school bus fleet electrification-as-a-service in North America, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the country's single largest deployment of electric school buses at Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda.
"Moving to electric transportation is not only a necessary response to climate change, but it is also something students have asked for at Board of Education meetings," said Montgomery Board of Education President Brenda Wolff. "Partnerships with organizations like Highland are so important. It allows us to demonstrate our commitment to becoming a more sustainable organization while defraying the high upfront cost of electric school buses."
During the 2021-2022 school year, MCPS installed electric infrastructure at one of its transportation depots and saw the delivery of its first 25 electric buses. This school year, another 61 buses will be delivered, and electric infrastructure will be installed at three more transportation depots.
Superintendent Monifa B. McKnight says the school system is proud to be at the forefront of this work. "Moving to an electrified school bus fleet makes sense and is the future of transportation for all of us," she said. "The school bus is the first and last contact with our students each day, and a new, modern school bus reflects our commitment to an excellent experience for students."
Climate change and concerns about student and community health are driving school bus electrification mandates around the country, including in Maryland. The state's Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022 requires all new school bus purchases and contracts to be electric by 2025.
"Toxic pollutants can be as much as 2.5 times more prevalent inside a typical diesel school bus than inside an electric school bus," said Maryland House Delegate David Fraser-Hidalgo."Considering this, along with the carbon emissions caused by the 17,000 gallons of fuel that MCPS diesel buses use daily, electrifying our school bus fleets is an imperative public health, climate change, and environmental priority. MCPS' work to electrify their bus fleet will improve health outcomes for children today and protect our air quality for years to come."
On a typical school day, MCPS diesel buses use approximately 17,000 gallons of diesel fuel, which emit greenhouse gases and harmful matter from tailpipes. Replacing the diesel bus fleet with electric buses brings MCPS closer to its pledge of cutting greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2027 and 100% by 2035.
"School buses will now be the symbol of safe and sustainable student transportation," said Congressman Jamie Raskin from Maryland's 8th Congressional District. "We don't need our school buses to emit diesel fumes dangerous for our children and everyone else. School buses can embody and actualize the new green era we are entering."
Highland is partnering with MCPS to upgrade 326 school buses to electric by 2025. The collaboration will deliver cleaner, healthier transportation for students and local communities and support electric grid reliability with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) services and the nation's first use of electric school buses to provide synchronized energy reserves.
"This project is momentous not only for its size but also because it demonstrates that school bus fleet electrification is not a pipe dream or something to be deferred, said Duncan McIntyre, CEO of Highland Electric Fleets. "Highland is proud to work with MCPS to show that it is possible to deploy electric buses that protect our children's health and preserve our environment, and do so affordably, at scale, today."
Highland uses an innovative public-private partnership model that removes the upfront cost and complexity of upgrading to electric school buses. This makes deploying electric buses faster to help communities meet the mandates.
According to Dana Edwards, Education Administrator at Montgomery County Public Schools, said, "This was no easy task, but doing it with Highland, who is focused and dedicated and really understands the needs of kids, made a difference."
Highland Electric Fleets | https://highlandfleets.com
