The Challenge: Reduce Barriers to Electrifying School Buses
Despite the long-term savings and health benefits of going electric, school districts face barriers to electrifying their school bus fleets. Challenges that school districts encounter include
- Higher up-front costs for buses and associated charging infrastructure, compared to diesel buses
- Implementing necessary depot upgrades
- Training drivers and mechanics during the transition to electric buses
- Coordinating with third-party transportation providers for districts that choose to lease their buses
About ACT School Bus Fleet Deployment
The ACT School Bus Fleet Deployment program offers school bus fleets up to $2 million in flexible funding for depot upgrades and purchases of electric school buses and associated charging infrastructure. Participating fleets also have the opportunity to work with MassCEC's consultant team to address the gaps in technical knowledge impeding school bus fleets from electrifying, in areas such as coordination with stakeholders, equipment selection, procurement, and project implementation.
To learn more about the next planned Fleet Deployment Program opportunity and timeline, please view the Notice of Intent, released in May 2023.
Funding Schedule
Round 2 of the ACT School Bus Fleet Deployment Program is expected to open for applications in Fall 2023. Please view the NOI for details on tentative Program timeline and next steps.
This schedule is tentative and subject to change at MassCEC's discretion.
| Process Step | Tentative Timing |
|---|---|
Release of NOI |
May 2023 |
Release of RFP |
September 2023 |
Webinar hosted by MassCEC |
September or October 2023 |
Questions due to MassCEC via email to CleanTransportation@MassCEC.com |
October 2023 |
Questions with answers posted to MassCEC website |
October 2023 |
Proposals due |
January 2024 |
Interviews of top applicants |
January 2024 |
Notification of award |
February 2024 |
Who's Eligible
Eligible applicants include public school districts in Massachusetts, including those that work with third-party fleet operators.
Program Structure
The responsibilities and expectations of each of the program participants are summarized below. These lists may vary with the needs of the school district, and may not be exhaustive.
School District
- Collaborate with the Technical Consultant on project design, deployment, and reporting on project outcomes
- Provide baseline fleet assessment data, e.g., fleet size and makeup, routes data and schedules, current fuel types and costs
- With the help of the technical consultant, deploy electric school buses and charging infrastructure to serve district schools
Technical Consultant
- Conducting technical and financial electrification analyses that inform decision-making options for school bus fleets
- Finalizing analyses of vehicle needs, charging needs, financial details, and distributed energy resources integration
- Creation of plans for site work and electric school bus operation
- Procurement support for purchase of electric school buses and charging equipment
- Management of construction, equipment testing, and technical training
- Operational support for school bus fleets and related entities
MassCEC
- Participate in meetings with the technical consultant and the school district
- Record and share lessons learned between school districts
- Retain the technical consultant
Benefits of Participation
- Obtain a plan for full-fleet electrification
- Preparation of depot site(s) for full-fleet electrification
- Procurement of electric school buses and associated infrastructure
- Deployment of electric school buses and associated infrastructure
If your district is in the early stages of electrification planning, the Accelerating Clean Transportation (ACT) School Bus Advisory Services Program can provide free technical assistance you need to help you get started on your school bus electrification journey.
Not sure which program is right for you at your current stage?
...Or contact us at cleantransportation@masscec.com!
Apply
Application Process
This opportunity is currently closed.
Application Materials
Coming soon!