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Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) has been awarded $2,325,000 by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for the purchase of 10 new electric school buses. The award amount will supply the ACPS Office of Pupil Transportation and Fleet Management with the funds needed to help the school division cover the cost difference to purchase the electric-powered school buses rather than purchase 10 diesel-powered buses.
ACPS is one of 11 public school divisions to receive part of the $14 million awarded grant by DEQ for clean energy school buses. These awards, made through the Clean School Bus Program (CBSP), complement more than $10 million awarded last August to replace 72 diesel school buses in 17 school divisions with electric and propane buses. The funding comes from Virginia’s $93.6 million allocation to the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust, which supports initiatives to reduce air pollution.
“Replacing diesel school buses with new electric buses will benefit our students’ health by reducing their exposure to air pollution, as each electric school bus prevents 291 tons of pollution,” said ACPS Director of Pupil Transportation and Fleet Management Scott Merriman. “These new buses will also save our school division thousands of dollars in diesel fuel costs and reduce our dependence on fossil fuel. I want to thank the ACPS Office of Community Partnerships and Engagement for its successful application and the essential support for the division to receive these grants.”
The new electric buses will allow ACPS to retire 10 older diesel buses and add to the current fleet of five electric school buses purchased through the Dominion Electric program in October 2021. The new electric buses will be delivered in early 2023 and will position ACPS as having the largest percentage of clean energy school buses among Northern Virginia school divisions. Additionally, the Dominion Energy Electric School Bus Program will expand the charging station infrastructure at no additional cost to the division. To learn more, read the full ACPS press release.