Largest utility-led electric school bus
program in the US achieves significant environmental milestone
HIGH
POINT, N.C. – March 20, 2024 – Dominion
Energy’s Electric School Bus (ESB) Program, in collaboration with Thomas Built Buses (TBB),
a leading manufacturer of school buses in North America, and Sonny Merryman,
one of Virginia’s leading bus dealers, has achieved a significant milestone by
exceeding 1.5 million electric miles driven in the state of Virginia.
Launched in September 2019, the program has become the largest
utility-led electric school bus initiative in the United States, with a fleet
of more than 135 electric school buses currently operating across 25 districts
in Virginia. Fairfax alone has one of the largest electric school bus fleets in
the nation.
“At
Dominion Energy, we’re not only reducing our own carbon emissions, we’re also
helping our customers reduce theirs,” said Adam Birdsong, manager of customer
energy solutions, Dominion Energy. “Our program has helped school districts
overcome technical and financial hurdles of electric school bus adoption while
improving air quality, protecting the health of our children and hardening the
grid.”
“The
shift from diesel to electric school buses demands a collective effort and
robust partnerships,” said Whitney Kopanko, director of marketing and school
bus sales, Sonny Merryman. “Dominion Energy’s visionary program goes beyond
providing financial support; it forges partnerships in training, utility
engagement, service and maintenance and other program components crucial for
this journey.”
Dominion
Energy’s program elevated Virginia to fifth in the nation for the number of
electric school buses committed. Sonny Merryman aims to have 224 total Jouley
units delivered by the end of the 2023/24 school year. Through this program,
state and federal funding has been maximized, further accelerating growth
within the industry.
The
environmental impact of this initiative is substantial. Dominion-supported
electric school buses have prevented a total of 1,632 short tons of greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions; 2,520 pounds of carbon monoxide (CO); and 4,342 pounds of
nitrogen oxide (NOx), according to the AFLEET tool by the Department of Energy and Argonne National Lab. This means better air quality and
positive health impacts for students and bus drivers.
“We’re
proud of the success that Dominion Energy’s Electric School Bus Program has
achieved in Virginia as they spearhead utility-led conversion in America,” said
Mark Childers, powertrain and technology sales manager, Thomas Built Buses. “This
incredible milestone showcases the impact of collaboration in our industry, and
we are looking forward to continued success in advancing sustainable and
efficient transportation for school districts across the state.”
Dominion
Energy remains at the forefront of electric school buses by pioneering the safe
and thoughtful deployment of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. This capability, which allows electric
school bus batteries to act as mobile energy sources when demands are high to
help stabilize the grid, is expected to soft launch in summer 2024. Dominion
Energy has also supported several school districts in their applications for
the 2023 EPA Clean School Bus Program and plans to continue this support in the
coming year.
About
Thomas Built Buses:
Founded
in 1916, Thomas Built Buses is a leading manufacturer of school buses in North
America. Since the first Thomas Built bus rolled off the assembly line, the
company has been committed to delivering the smartest and most innovative buses
in North America. Learn more at https://thomasbuiltbuses.com or at https://www.facebook.com/thomasbuiltbuses.
Thomas
Built Buses, Inc., headquartered in High Point, North Carolina, is a subsidiary
of Daimler Truck North America LLC, a leading provider of comprehensive
products and technologies for the commercial transportation industry. The company
designs, engineers, manufactures and markets medium- and heavy-duty trucks,
school buses, vehicle chassis and their associated technologies and components
under the Freightliner, Western Star, Thomas Built Buses, Freightliner Custom
Chassis Corp and Detroit brands. Daimler Truck North America is a subsidiary of
Daimler Truck, one of the world’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers.
About
Dominion Energy:
About
6 million customers in 15 states energize their homes and businesses with
electricity or natural gas from Dominion Energy (NYSE: D), headquartered in
Richmond, Virginia. The company is committed to providing reliable, affordable
and increasingly clean energy every day and to achieving net zero emissions by
2050. Please visit dominionenergy.com to learn more.
