New grant powers electric bus pilot program in Minnesota

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has awarded $2.1 million in grants to private entities for electric school bus pilot projects to address climate change.

Five state school districts will receive services from eight electric school buses and electric charging stations through the MPCA’s electric school bus pilot project.

“This is the beginning of hopefully bigger projects to help local partners and school districts, private and public bus lines electrify their fleets,” said MPCA Commissioner Katrina Kessler. “That will help meet local goals as well as state goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions… and improve air quality over time.”

Grant recipients include Faribault, Osseo, Columbia Heights, Morris and Fergus Falls school districts. The districts will work with the MPCA over the next few years in evaluating and gathering data on energy performance, cost and maintenance.

They will also see if it’s possible to expand the program to other areas of the state or even to other heavier vehicles like snowplows.

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