26 more electric school buses will be rolling across Oregon, as EPA awards DEQ $6.54 million

the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday that the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has been selected to receive $6.54 million in funding to assist in the purchase of 26 zero-emission, all-electric school buses through a first-ever Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program.  

This grant proposal for school bus electrification comprises of four program elements: 1) install a mix of Level 2 and DC Level 3 charging infrastructure in partnership with Portland General Electric to support funded electric school buses, 2) scrap and replace 26 diesel Type C and Type D school buses with zero-emission, all-electric school buses, 3) train Beaverton and Reynolds School District’s workforce of 17 mechanics to become fully-fledged electric vehicle and charging infrastructure technicians using trusted electric school bus curriculum sourced from local partners, and 4) engage local Title I communities to share information around the benefits of the Beaverton and Reynolds district fleet electrification project.