On May 11, 2016 the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) announced the schools that will participate in their Vehicle-to-Grid Electric School Bus pilot program, which aims to reduce petroleum use and test the benefits of electric school bus technology. The project will be administered by the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC).

The participating schools will receive grants to purchase electric school buses and chargers, and data will be collected on their use of the vehicles. VEIC will conduct an economic analysis of the project in order to determine if this is technology should be more widely adopted. The project goal is to reduce petroleum usage by approximately 22,680 gallons of gasoline equivalent.

In a press release announcing the project launch Governor Charlie Baker said “Massachusetts schools are leading the way by testing clean and resilient energy technology that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector. This innovative project will also reduce fuel costs and aid our commitment to a cleaner future for the Commonwealth.”

Learn more about VEIC’s involvement in this project and other transportation efficiency efforts.