Electric School Buses? Acton-Boxborough Schools Receives $350k Grant

ACTON, MA—Acton-Boxborough students could soon be riding around in an electric school bus, as Concord Public Schools has been awarded a grant for the purchase of buses and chargers from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs(EEA).

The EEA announced Wednesday that Concord, Acton-Boxborough, Cambridge and Amherst were the four school districts in the commonwealth to be awarded the grants by Gov. Charlie Baker. The grands were awarded through the Department of Energy Resources new Vehicle-to-Grid Electric School Bus pilot program, which aims to reduce schools’ petroleum use and test the benefits of electric school bus technology.

“Massachusetts schools are leading the way by testing clean and resilient energy technology that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector,” said Governor Charlie Baker in a statement. “This innovative project will also reduce fuel costs and aid our commitment to a cleaner future for the Commonwealth.”

According to the announcement, the Vehicle-to-Grid Electric School Bus pilot will be one of the first demonstrations of electric school bus technology on the East Coast of the United States. The pilot is intended to demonstrate that electric drive technology can help reduce emissions in the transportation sector that has traditionally been dependent on petroleum fuel and demonstrate how school buses can provide electric storage for the grid.

Acton-Boxborough was granted up to $350,000 for an electric type C bus and charger.

“Not only will this pilot help Massachusetts transition to increased electric vehicles, but it will also demonstrate the opportunity to transport our children in clean vehicles, which will reduce costs and is better for our environment,” said DOER Commissioner Judith Judson in a statement. “These school buses will also make these four schools more resilient by providing backup power from the bus battery.”