By Jordan Honeycutt
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RALEIGH, North Carolina (WLOS) — Electric school buses could be used in the future in North Carolina for energy purposes.
National school districts will soon be able to switch to electric school buses with billions of dollars from the federal government as soon as next month.
Krista Early, advocate with Environment North Carolina Research and Policy Center said that getting to school shouldn’t be a chore. Moving to all-electric buses would ensure that children have a safe and healthy ride from home to school. This is not the only benefit of all-electric buses. It also gives us the opportunity to make substantial improvements to our electric grid, which will provide significant benefits for communities.
A report released Tuesday by the Environment North Carolina Research and Policy Center said that the new transportation could add over 1,693 MWh to the state’s electricity capacity, enough for 34,727 average homes per day.
James Horrox is the lead author of the report. He said that since the construction of the U.S. electric grid, our way of producing, distributing and using energy has changed drastically. The shift to renewables presents a host of new challenges. Battery storage will be critical in meeting those challenges. Vehicle-to grid technologies can be a crucial part of this transition, and electric school busses are well-suited for that role.
The report stated that:
Lawmakers should fund electric school buses and vehicle-to-grid pilot programs. They should also support research to develop and standardize technology and regulations regarding the use and return of energy to the grid by electric vehicles. Prioritize funding for communities that are underserved. Utility companies and regulators must form partnerships with school districts as well as public officials to finance electric buses, restructure electricity rates in order to accommodate electric vehicle technology, clarify regulations regarding electric vehicles that store and return energy to grid.
School districts should be committed to a complete transition to electric buses within a specified timeframe and invest in as many vehicles as possible as soon possible. They should also establish strong collaborative partnerships with utilities as early as possible.
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