When students in the Uintah School District return to classes this fall, some will be riding to school in new electric buses.
The district was able to purchase 10 electric buses and the charging infrastructure without spending local capital funds. The project was fully funded with money from settlement awards collected by the Utah Department of Environmental Quality and rebates the district received through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program.
“The Uintah School Board’s decision to further diversify our fleet by adding 10 electric buses began with a letter from the Utah Petroleum Association,” Uintah School District Superintendent Dr. Rick Woodford said.
In the letter to the superintendent, Utah Petroleum Association President Rikki Hrenko-Browning acknowledged the “well-known fact that there are air quality concerns here in the Uintah Basin that not only have the potential to affect the health and wellness of the local residents, but threaten local industries as regulations and policies affect the ability for local businesses to be competitive in the open market.”
Hrenko-Browning said her organization encouraged “any efforts made by the local area to reduce emissions that impact our air quality, and particularly those that lead to our winter ozone challenges, such as diesel emissions.”
“The state’s oil and gas association expressed its support for electrifying the district’s bus fleet,” said Woodford, citing the letter.
Before making its decision to apply for funding for the buses, the Uintah School District Board of Education considered the health and safety of students and bus drivers, as well as the importance of the local oil and gas industry to Uintah County’s economy. They also weighed the savings the district will realize over the next several years because the district will not have to use local capital funds to purchase 10 buses on its regular school bus rotation.
“Our school board members did not make their decision lightly,” Woodford said. “They took the time to consider a lot of information and engaged in several in-depth discussions.”
Despite some legitimate concerns from board members and district stakeholders about electric vehicles, the board kept an open mind and directed the district to pursue the EPA funding, the superintendent said.
“All things considered, I believe our board members made the right decision for the good of our district, our students, and our community,” Woodford said.
In addition to the 10 electric school buses, the district’s bus fleet includes 27 propane buses and 23 diesel buses.
“We’re grateful for the partnership with and forward thinking of the Uintah School District,” Bryce Bird, Division of Air Quality Director, said. “Their commitment to the wellbeing of their students, bus drivers, and the community is clear, and their determination to think outside of the box and find solutions to air quality concerns is evident. We look forward to seeing the impact the electric buses will have, and look forward to continuing to partner with the Uintah Basin on common-sense strategies to improve air quality.”
ABOUT THE BUSES:
- Electric buses are quieter, require less maintenance, have lower operational costs and provide a 100% reduction of tailpipe emissions, which will improve air quality and protect the health of students and community members.
- The new electric school buses are built with state-of-the-art safety features, ensuring the safety of students and staff on every trip.
- The replacement of 10 heavy duty diesel buses with electric buses will result in an estimated annual reduction of 218 tons of emissions, which includes greenhouse gasses.
- In addition, there will be an annual cost savings to the school district of $76,000 in diesel fuel expenses.