Courtesy of Monterey Bay Community Power:
Monterey Bay Community Power (MBCP) in partnership with the Monterey Bay Air Resources District (MBARD) today announced its new program incentivizing the purchase of electric buses for public schools within Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. The two agencies share a goal of improving air quality by reducing local greenhouse gas emissions. The Zero Emissions School Bus Program provides school districts with an opportunity to replace diesel school buses with clean running electric buses, reducing overhead costs and improving local air quality while helping to educate students about the benefits of electric vehicles.
“Electrifying school buses is an incredible opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the Monterey Bay by supporting our local students and schools.” shared MBCP CEO, Tom Habashi. “Our partnership with MBARD increases the impact of this important local greenhouse gas reducing transportation electrification program.”
MBCP has allocated a total of $1.2 million and will provide up to $200,000 per bus, for a total of six buses, during the current fiscal year. MBARD is set to leverage state funding for the remaining balance of each electric school bus. In addition, MBARD has reserved funding to provide up to $20,000 for charging infrastructure available to applicants in need of a charging station for their new electric school bus. The program is the first of its kind among Community Choice Aggregators statewide. MBCP and MBARD see their growing partnership as a true example for others to replicate and help further the state’s transportation and climate goals.
“MBARD is proud to collaborate with Monterey Bay Community Power on our Zero Emission School Bus Program. Funding from this this partnership helps transition schools to cleaner transportation thereby improving air quality and the health of our children and the community.” shared Richard Stedman, MBARD Air Pollution Control Officer.
Close to 100 different school districts across the Monterey Bay Region are eligible to benefit from this program. According to MBCP’s Electrification Strategic Plan, each diesel-powered school bus replaced by an electric bus is projected to avoid an estimated 20 metric tons of greenhouse gas
emissions (MTCO2e) each year, for an annual program total of 120 MTCO2e, the equivalent of over 132,000 lbs. of coal burned each year. Eligible applicants are public school districts enrolled with MBCP and located within the Counties of Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz. MBARD is set to administer the program and begins accepting applications June 17, 2020 at 10 AM. Learn more here:
About: Monterey Bay Community Power is a Community Choice Energy agency established by local communities to source carbon-free electricity for Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties in addition to San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay as well as most of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties starting in 2021. PG&E and SCE continue their traditional role delivering power as well as maintaining electric infrastructure and billing. As a locally controlled public agency, MBCP supports regional economic vitality by sourcing cleaner energy at a lower cost and advancing local energy programs to accelerate electrification, fuel-switching and resiliency. For more information, visit www.mbcp.org.
