WAMU | AUG 29

Dominion Energy Will Buy Virginia Electric School Buses… If They Can Use The Batteries
Jordan Pascale

Schools across Virginia could have all-electric school buses by 2030, under a plan from Dominion Energy. The company said it could be the largest deployment of electric school buses in the nation.

Electric buses would give students cleaner air and a quieter ride to school, and would mean lower maintenance and fuel costs for schools as well as lower carbon emissions.

Since buses are parked for most of the day, Dominion would in turn have a fleet of batteries that could store energy and be fed back into the electric grid during an emergency or when energy demands are high. It’s part of a newer technology called “vehicle to grid” power.

Schools in Northern Virginia, Central Virginia and Hampton Roads can apply for the first 50 buses in the next few weeks; the buses could be on the streets by the end of next year. The buses would also be equipped with seatbelts, a safety measure advocacy groups have wanted but the state legislature has never passed.

Dominion wants bus manufacturers to bid on the contract, which opens next week. The company expects the first phase of the project to cost $13.5 million, which it said will not be passed on to customers.
....