East Brunswick School District To Get 11 New Electric Buses

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU), and New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) recently announced that East Brunswick Schools will get 11 new electric buses.

The state announced $70 million for municipalities, schools and companies to purchase new electric vehicles and electric equipment.

The funds come from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). The $70 million will fund the purchase of 156 electric vehicles, including 114 school buses, eight garbage and dump trucks, 26 shuttle and transit buses, and four forklifts.

The school district received the grant after years of applications, Business Administrator Bernardo Giuliana told the Board during the March 16 meeting. "We are poised for this,” Giuliana said.

Several years ago when the district acquired the support operations facility and did renovations, they put infrastructure in place to receive the cabling and charging stations, Giuliana told the BOE.

The Economic Development Authority announced it will be holding a series of session in April for public comments on possible investments for future RGGI funds.

RGGI is a cap-and-trade pact among 11 northeastern states dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The state invests its RGGI auction proceeds in programs that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, drive forward projects that boost clean energy and create jobs, protect the health of residents in environmental justice communities, and increase the resiliency of coastal communities.

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