How to Accelerate the Adoption of Electric School Buses for Grid Reliability and Community Resiliency - Spring

Advisor: Pearl Gray

Team Members: Anika Becker (Manager), Elise Birde (Deputy Manager), Alexa Lorillard, Jordan Shenhar, Anna Mahowald, Dengruo Wang, Hadja Fatoumata Doumbouya, llina Hristova, John Bivins, Julia Saffer-D’Anna, Ranganath Srinivasan, Yaritza Anguiano

Electrifying school buses presents a significant opportunity to reduce transportation emissions while improving grid stability and community resilience. School buses are uniquely suited for electrification due to their predictable routes and centralized storage, allowing their batteries to support grid services through vehicle-to-grid integration. However, adoption remains limited due to high upfront costs, infrastructure challenges, and regulatory barriers. Analysis demonstrated that electric school buses could provide substantial environmental benefits while also strengthening grid resilience during peak demand and emergencies.

Expanding electric school bus adoption requires coordinated policy, financing, and infrastructure development. Recommended strategies include financial incentives, utility partnerships, and updated regulatory frameworks to enable vehicle-to-grid participation. Economic modeling demonstrated that integrating electric buses into grid operations improves overall system efficiency and reduces long-term costs. Targeted investments in underserved communities provide additional environmental justice benefits by reducing air pollution exposure. Accelerating electrification supports climate goals while improving energy resilience and public health outcomes.

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