A Modesto company has received a state grant to help local school districts transition their school buses from diesel-powered to electric.
Storer Transportation announced Tuesday that it has received a $3 million grant from the California Energy Commission’s Electric School Bus Bi-Directional Infrastructure funding.
The big picture: Storer is the first school bus contractor in the state to receive grant funding for electric school buses at this scale.
- The grant will help Storer Transportation transition school districts in Stanislaus County to electric buses.
- Funding will support the installation of 37 bi-directional chargers, which will allow electric school buses to serve as a source of backup power.
- Storer will also help the state develop a blueprint to help other school bus fleets transition to electric buses.
What we’re watching: Storer expects the project to reduce its carbon emissions by over 70,000 tons in the next three years.
- The 37 bi-directional chargers will allow electric buses to supply 4.4 MWh of backup power during emergencies.
- State law requires all newly purchased or contracted school buses to be zero-emission by 2035.
What they’re saying: “This project reflects our unwavering commitment to serving our community’s transportation needs for the past 72 years,” said Donald Storer, President & CEO of Storer.
- “We will move with the times and do our part to help find solutions, like we always have. It’s an honor to have Storer’s history of innovation and service recognized by the state; our selection for this award underscores the need to have the necessary infrastructure to speed the transition to zero-emission school buses.”
