The Affordability and Public Health Benefits of Bidirectional Electric School Buses

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Californians are facing soaring electricity bills and some of the most polluted air in the country. A massive rollout of bidirectional electric school buses across the state can help tackle both problems. Bidirectional electric vehicles, including school buses, can store energy in their batteries and feed it back to the grid when it’s needed most. Mass adoption of electric school buses would reduce the need for expensive utility investments in grid infrastructure like additional power plants and transmission lines, which lead to rate hikes on our electricity bills.

Switching from polluting, diesel-powered school buses to bidirectional, electric ones also improves air quality. No tailpipe means no noxious fumes for schoolchildren to breathe. And the clean energy storage capacity of the batteries means relying less on diesel peaker plants and generators during peak hours.  

Watch the recording above to learn why public investment in bidirectional electric school buses is crucial for energy affordability and public health. Also, learn what you can do to help make this vision a reality in California. 

This webinar is the second in a three-part series about the climate benefits of electric school buses.

Presentations and Resources

Speakers

Samantha Houston

Senior Manager for the Clean Transportation Program, Union of Concerned Scientists

Samantha (Sam) Houston is a senior manager for the Clean Transportation program at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). In her role, she leads analysis and advocacy efforts to promote electric grid investments to support widespread vehicle electrification and vehicle-grid integration. She also contributes to UCS work to advance federal programs for electric vehicle charging infrastructure and federal vehicle standards.

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Elena Krieger

Senior Director of Research and Policy at Just Solutions

Elena Krieger, PhD, is Senior Director of Research and Policy at Just Solutions, a national nonprofit focused on equitable energy and climate solutions. Previously, she served as director of research at an interdisciplinary energy science and policy research institute, where she explored strategies to integrate public health, equity, affordability, resilience, and other societal benefits into energy transitions. She is a member of the second cohort of New Voices at the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and a member of the Disadvantaged Communities Advisory Group to the California Energy Commission and California Public Utilities Commission.

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Zach Woogen

Executive Director, Vehicle-Grid Integration Council

Zach leads regulatory, policy, and market development efforts, covering utility rate and program design, interconnection rules and regulations, and managed charging and V2X technology in the leading VGI markets. Previously, Zach was a Senior Manager at Strategen, supporting go-to-market strategy for clients in the V2X and smart charging space. Before joining Strategen, Zach was a Project Manager with Bay-Area Environmentally Aware Consulting Network (BEACN) in energy strategy.

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Jane Israel

Senior Western Regional Manager, Market Development, Highland Electric Fleets

Jane is a clean energy and climate change expert who is currently the Senior Western Regional Manager of Market Development at Highland Electric Fleets where she supports school districts to understand how best to electrify their fleet. This includes community organizing, mass market education, policy advocacy, and major account political support as well as engaging with utilities, regulators, and legislators around existing and potential future programs designed to support electric school buses.

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