The Affordability and Public Health Benefits of Bidirectional Electric School Buses

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 school children to breathe. And the clean energy storage capacity of the batteries means relying less on diesel peaker plants and generators during peak hours.  

Join us 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.

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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