CONCORD — The Concord-Carlisle Regional School District is making significant progress toward expanding its electric school bus fleet through a combination of innovative infrastructure investments, state-supported pilot programs and strategic partnerships.
The District currently operates three electric school buses as part of its in-house transportation program, which provides yellow school bus transportation directly to students in Concord and Carlisle.
Now, District officials are pursuing two initiatives that would add to the fleet and support local sustainability goals while minimizing costs to taxpayers.
The first initiative is a charging infrastructure project supported through a grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC). Work is underway at the District’s transportation depot to install new charging equipment and electrical infrastructure to support future fleet growth.
As part of the project, the District is piloting a bidirectional charging system that will allow buses to charge more quickly while also exploring how electric school buses may support the local electric grid during periods of peak demand.
The charging station will feature dual charging ports capable of charging two buses simultaneously, improving operational flexibility and reducing charging times.
“We are taking a thoughtful approach to expanding our electric bus fleet by ensuring we have the infrastructure in place to support it,” said Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Robert Conry. “This project gives us the opportunity to explore emerging technology that could provide benefits to both the District and broader community.”
The bidirectional charging system will be evaluated through a pilot program involving consultants funded by the state. The technology has the potential to support a vehicle-to-grid model, in which energy stored in electric school bus batteries could be supplied back to the electrical grid during periods of exceptionally high demand. Concord Municipal Light Plant (CMLP) has been an integral partner on this project, and the District is working with them to explore the mutual benefits of bidirectional charging.
For utilities, peak demand periods often occur during hot summer days when electricity usage spikes and additional power must be purchased at premium market rates by CMLP. By supplying stored energy from buses when they are not in service, vehicle-to-grid technology may help reduce those costs while creating potential savings that could be shared between CMLP and the School District. The District could use any savings realized as funding sources to facilitate future expansion of the electric bus fleet. Because electric school buses carry a higher upfront purchase cost, the District is actively pursuing grants, partnerships and vehicle-to-grid technology that could help offset expenses and reduce the local financial impact of future fleet expansion.
The district is also actively pursuing a partnership with Highland Electric Fleets that could provide two additional electric school buses at pricing originally negotiated through a federal grant program.
District officials are currently evaluating the opportunity and exploring future grant partnerships that could support continued fleet expansion.
“Electric school buses are an important part of our sustainability efforts, but we also recognize the need to be fiscally responsible,” said Superintendent Dr. Laurie Hunter. “By pursuing grants, partnerships and innovative pilot programs, we are identifying ways to reduce costs while continuing to modernize our transportation fleet and support the environmental goals shared by our schools and communities.”
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