I read an interesting New York Times article last year about schools switching their diesel-burning school buses over to clean, electric ones. Intrigued, I looked and found a few other articles in other publications about the same topic, and became appalled at just how unhealthy bus emission particulates were to students. 

I also learned of the tremendous benefits of electric vehicles in slowing the effects of climate change through dramatically reduced fossil fuel use. I learned of the unique characteristics of school buses that make them ideal candidates for electrification- known daily routes, vast majority of the year sitting idle, enormous battery capacity. And most importantly, I learned that the economics of switching from diesel to electric buses had changed markedly over the past year, to the point where electrification was also the most sensible financial choice for a school. And that led me to my key thought: "Hey, why doesn’t my own school make the switch?"

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Before approaching my school's administration, I began researching the available literature online, and started scheduling calls and meetings with a wide range of companies and individuals that I thought would be helpful.

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I contacted and spoke with officials from other schools around the country who had made the switch to electric buses in order to get detailed feedback about their experiences. I talked to many different local, state, and federal agency representatives to learn more about the grant process. It became clear that, even in the absence of generous grants that made the purchase of a new electric bus completely free (!), the decision for a school to switch was still a slam-dunk. The switch would save money, save the planet, and save lives.

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