Boroughwide

Con Edison invests $9 million to launch school bus electrification in Brooklyn

October 22, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff
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BOROUGHWIDE — Twelve electric school buses will take students to class in Brooklyn, thanks to a pioneering partnership and $9 million investment from Con Edison to First Student, North America’s largest school transportation provider. Currently, four of the electric buses are operational, with plans to have the entire fleet of 12 up and running by next school year. These electric buses produce zero emissions, effectively eliminating the release of harmful pollutants into the air that children breathe. 

This initiative marks an important step toward a reduction in pollution and noise level, replacing diesel-fueled school buses. Each bus will have solar panels atop its roof. First Student will charge the buses at a depot on Malta Street with power from a 500-kilowatt solar array, using smart energy management software, which will allow First Student to reduce electric bills without compromising operational needs. The depot will also have a two-megawatt battery that will discharge power into the buses’ batteries. 

The project will provide Con Edison with valuable information as the company prepares its grid for the coming influx of electric vehicles, including medium- and heavy-duty truck and bus fleets.

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