6 Oregon Districts Receive Funding for Electric School Buses

Six Oregon school districts recently secured funding from a state energy company for electric school buses.

The company, known as Portland General Electric (PGE), announced the winners of its 2021 Electric School Bus Fund on Sept. 27, according to a news release from PGE. Each district (listed below) will receive funding to purchase an electric bus, install charging infrastructure, and receive technical and training support for the electric buses, which are expected to be on the road in 2022.

• Beaverton School District
• Centennial School District 28J
• Gresham-Barlow School District
• Hillsboro School District
• Portland Public Schools
• Salem-Keizer Public Schools

According to PGE, each district was selected based on their commitments to meet the needs of underserved communities and incorporate the electric buses more broadly into student education around climate science.

“Electrifying transportation is a key driver of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and an important step toward reaching our goal of 100 percent clean energy for all Oregonians,” said Maria Pope, president and CEO of PGE. “Seeing kids of all ages, our future, traveling to and from school in electric buses is a moment of pride for all of us at PGE, and we are excited to partner with school districts across the state.”

PGE’s Electric School Bus Fund is supported by the Oregon Clean Fuels Program, which covers the incremental cost of electric school buses (the difference in cost between a standard diesel bus and an electric bus), the total installation of charging infrastructure, and technical assistance for the buses. In return, participating school districts will work with PGE to share their insights and learnings with other school districts interested in electrifying their bus fleets.

This is reportedly the second year PGE has awarded funding to Oregon school districts for electric buses. In April, the company announced a joint project with Daimler Trucks North America, called “Electric Island,” which includes eight vehicle charging stations for zero-emissions commercial vehicles.