School Bus Fleet, February 2020

NEWS electric buses charging infrastructure and maintenance training Funds would also support developing education outreach to promote the program provide information on electric school buses and their benefits and help grant recipients share best practices and lessons learned The bill prioritizes replacing aging diesel buses that serve the highest number of students in areas with the highest rates of asthma and lowest air quality and schools that can generate their own solar power or have battery storage units to augment the amount of power available Additionally HB 1140 requires the DOE to provide annual reports on the program to the General Assembly and make them available to the public The introduction of the bill comes on the heels of the news that Virginia based power and energy company Dominion Energy is kicking off an electric school bus program with the goals of reducing emissions providing cost savings to school districts and enhancing vehicle to grid reliability HB 1140 would establish grants to help schools to replace diesel buses with electric buses by 2030 As School Bus Fleet previously reported 16 school divisions within Dominion Energys Virginia service area will receive a total of 50 of Thomas Built Buses Saf T Liner C2 Jouley buses for phase one of the power and electric companys electric school bus program by the end of 2020 With state approval phase two of the project would expand the program to bring 1000 electric school buses to the area by 2025 Phase three would set the goal of having 50 of all diesel school bus replacements be electric by 2025 and as HB 1140 also aims for 100 by 2030 SAFETY SOLUTION DISTRIBUTORS FOR EZ ON Safety Vests Max2 Houdini Vests Custom Vests BESI Pro Tech IV Universal Vests New Safe Journey Mount Seat Covers Evacuation Accessories Q Straint Sure Lok Wheelchair Occupant Restraint Systems SafeGuard STAR Seats including the new SuperSTAR Bus Seat replacement Covers and Foams 3 Point Integrated Seats 10939B Reed Hartman Hwy Cincinnati OH www ewss org 8005430575 Virginia Bill Would Create Electric School Bus Grant Program By Nicole Schlosser RICHMOND Va A proposed state bill would establish a grant program to help schools replace their diesel buses with electric buses by 2030 and would help recipients share information about their experiences with the alternative fuel vehicles HB 1140 sponsored by Delegate Mark Keam would establish by July 1 2020 the Clean School Bus Grant Fund and require the Virginia Department of Education DOE to create a related program to award grants to replace diesel school buses with electric school buses through 2030 The program would award grants on a competitive basis to school boards for the 12 SCHOOL BUS FLEET FEBRUARY 2020 WWW SCHOOLBUSFLEET COM File photo courtesy Thomas Built Buses