This week, West Aurora School District 129 in Illinois introduced 27 all-electric Blue Bird school buses, now the largest electric school bus fleet operating in the Chicago region, according to a release.

The initiative reflects West Aurora's ongoing leadership in improving operational efficiency and environmental performance across its schools, including “investments in solar energy, building upgrades, and waste reduction efforts.”

The district partnered with Highland Electric Fleets to support the transition. Highland managed vehicle procurement, charger installation, and long-term fleet services to ensure “reliable daily operations.”

The fleet is powered by 14 Zerova 60kW chargers, providing charging capacity to meet route demands and support future fleet growth.

"West Aurora is proud to strengthen our commitment to our schools and community by adding electric buses to our sustainability efforts," said Dr. Angie Smith, SD129 associate superintendent of operations. "We hope to be able to demonstrate to other districts that electrification of even a portion of your fleet can make a difference that we can all benefit from."

EPA and ComEd Funding Accelerate Bus Fleet Electrification

Funding for the initiative includes nearly $5 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean School Bus Program and additional incentives from ComEd.

The ComEd incentive provided $450,000 in vehicle rebates and approximately $480,000 in make-ready support to prepare charging infrastructure, totaling $930,000 to help fund the electrification of the district’s school bus fleet.

According to a release, ComEd’s EV rebate programs are required by the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), a landmark climate law passed in Illinois that aims to put 1 million EVs on Illinois roads by 2030. Currently, there are over 150,000 EVs registered in Illinois, with nearly 90% operating in ComEd’s service territory, up from 19,000 registered EVs in northern Illinois in 2019.

"ComEd is proud to fund electrification projects like West Aurora School District 129's and hundreds of others across the region as our customers and communities take steps toward a lower carbon future," said Gil Quiniones, president and CEO of ComEd. "EV rebates are helping reduce the upfront costs while also bringing us closer to achieving the state's energy and climate goals."

Project partners include Central States Bus Sales, which supplied the Blue Bird buses; ComEd, the district's utility partner, which also provided financial support; and Grand Kahn Electric, which led installation of the charging equipment.

"West Aurora's leadership is evident across everything they do, from energy efficiency to waste reduction and now transportation," said Joshua Williams, senior midwestern regional manager at Highland Electric Fleets. "They're showing what it looks like when a district turns long-term commitments into measurable progress for students and the community."