Randy Yohe Published

W.Va. Electric School Bus Pilot Project Announced

School buses sit idle in a lot at Veolia Transportation, Boston's school bus contractor, on Tuesday
Listen

A new pilot project will help equip West Virginia school districts with low or no cost electric buses.

In his regular briefing on Thursday, Gov. Jim Justice announced that the Department of Economic Development will begin working with West Virginia school districts and the GreenPower company to help provide electric school buses at no or low cost.

Mark Nestlen with GreenPower joined Justice in explaining the first $500 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is now available.

He said those funds are federally designated to replace diesel burning school buses with zero-emission electric buses.

Nestlen said state school districts can almost get those buses for free.

“The large school buses will have a $375,000 rebate from the federal government, the smaller school buses $285,000,” Nestlen said. “And then they get an additional $20,000 per bus after that to work on charging infrastructure.”

Nestlen said GreenPower will take possession of its South Charleston facility in August, and have buses rolling out by September.