On June 26, PECO and Atlantic City Electric joined with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),the Eastern PA Alliance for Clean Transportation (EP-ACT) and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) to host an informational meeting with school districts, private school bus operators, and elected officials in southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey to promote the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program – a federal initiative funded under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help school districts replace existing diesel-fueled school buses with clean and zero-emission models.
During the meeting, EPA staff shared information on the program and how to apply, while PECO and other stakeholders used the opportunity to describe the resources that are available to help school districts with project development and funding application assistance. Supporting customers, including school districts, in reducing their emissions through access to clean and affordable energy solutions is a key element of PECO’s Path to Clean, which includes a goal for PECO and the collective Exelon utilities to reduce operations-driven emissions by 50 percent by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
By adding electric buses to their vehicle fleets, schools can recognize numerous benefits, including:
- Eliminating tailpipe emissions — students, drivers, and members of the community will be exposed to significantly less harmful diesel emissions like particulate matter and nitrogen oxides
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change
- Saving fuel and maintenance costs
- Electric buses are generally significantly cheaper to fuel than conventional buses
- Electric buses experience reduced brake wear due to regenerative braking and have no engine or exhaust system maintenance costs
- Enhancing the quality of life in our neighborhoods through EV buses’ quiet, clean operation
Expanding clean electric transportation options is critical to meeting Pennsylvania’s environmental goals, reducing the state’s carbon footprint, and bringing cleaner air to our communities. In addition to our work to help school districts acquire electric buses, PECO is proud to offer a set of programs and incentives to encourage transportation electrification, including the EVSmart Toolkit, rebates for commercial customers to support charging infrastructure installation, and a new Vehicle Electrification Roadmap to help commercial customers navigate the process of electrifying their own vehicle fleets.