Push For Electric School Buses Sparks New Dominion Initiative

FAIRFAX, VA — Dominion Energy announced an initiative to bring electric school buses en masse to school districts around Virginia. The effort comes amid a Fairfax County group's call for its school district to transition to all electric buses.

Dominion envisions a shift to electric buses in phases. The company aims to have 50 electric buses operating by the end of 2020; the second phase would be 1,000 buses by 2025. Dominion set a goal of replacing all diesel school buses with electric buses by 2030.

The company says the buses will reduce emissions and improve air quality. According to Dominion, one electric bus replacing a diesel bus "is the equivalent of taking 5.2 cars off the road."

School districts can receive electric buses as soon as next year. Dominion will cover the additional cost associated with an electric bus as compared to a diesel bus. That includes charging infrastructure. Buses will be equipped with "vehicle-to-grid" technology, using batteries to store and inject energy onto the grid during periods of high demand when buses aren't being used. The buses will also have seat belts.

The application for school districts will open on Sept. 5. A virtual town hall meeting will be held for school districts on Sept. 4.

Dominion's announcement followed the launch of a campaign by Mothers Out Front Fairfax, which advocates for clean and renewable energy in response to climate change. The group wants Fairfax County Public Schools to transition to zero-emission buses.

In response to Dominion's initiative, the group released a statement saying: "Fairfax County Public Schools operates about 1,625 diesel school buses, making it the second largest fleet in the country. In total Virginia has about 17,000 buses. This transition to no-emission buses will have a huge impact on our state and will set a great example for other states to work with their utility companies to produce a similar plan."

The announcement came as the State Corporation Commission released a report showing Dominion had $277.3 million in extra profits last year. Those profits reflect a return higher than state regulators approved, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.

The first phase of the electric school bus initiative to introduce 50 buses will not change prices for Dominion customers, the company said.