Sixteen Nuvve PowerPort charging stations have been deployed for the Mt. Diablo Unified School District in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The charging infrastructure provided by Nuvve Holding Corp. is expected to help MDUSD operate new electric buses acquired through a Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program grant aimed at reducing heavy-duty vehicle emissions.

The Carl Moyer Program offers grant funding for cleaner-than-required engines, equipment, and other pollution sources as a partnership between the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and California’s 35 local air districts.

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The Mt. Diablo district serves 29,000 students across more than 50 school locations, including sites with disadvantaged families. The district had relied on a fleet of aging diesel buses that resulted in significant maintenance costs. The MDUSD worked with A-Z Bus Sales, a California-based Blue Bird Corporation dealer, to earn a $3.4-million award to update the fleet to electric vehicles.

Cristian Lepe, transportation coordinator for the Mt. Diablo district, said MDUSD sought the funding “for the sake of our students,” especially those who struggle with asthma and other respiratory problems that can be made worse by diesel exhaust.

“The grant came at just the right time to update our fleet with new, cleaner technology and helped us save money we would have spent maintaining the existing buses,” Lepe said. “Electric is where schools need to go, even if there is fear of the unknown …. We all have to do our part to reduce CO2 emissions and achieve a better carbon footprint. It’s the right thing for our students and our community.”

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Nuvve supplied 16 Level 2 AC charging stations equipped with software that helps manage the fleet’s charging needs, rather than the school district just relying on so-called “dumb chargers” that pull energy from the grid to the vehicle and cost more to operate. The Nuvve stations charge bus fleets at off-peak times when utility rates are lower, and they allow fleet managers to view vehicle charging and generate monthly reports.

“Mt. Diablo’s strategy of using grant funding along with Nuvve’s charging solution to help lower their total cost of operation is a smart one to electrify as many buses as possible in the near term,” said Gregory Poilasne, chairman and CEO of Nuvve.

The charging site was designed and built by Veteran Power Infrastructure, which provides engineering, procurement, and construction services across the west coast. VPI worked with RC Electric to finish the installation, pushing the project ahead of schedule to provide MDUSD ample time to ready their fleet for the new school year.

“It was a pleasure to collaborate with Nuvve, MDUSD, and our utility partners to support the transition to greener bus fleets,” said Jason Yohn, VPI project manager. “It’s a win for everyone involved, especially for students and the greater community.”