Editorial: Pedal to the metal. Accelerate transition to electric school buses

CBC Editorial: Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023; editorial #8875
The following is the opinion of Capitol Broadcasting Company

Imagine state leaders – particularly those who lead North Carolina’s General Assembly – being able to promote a key state industry, assure reliable transportation for school children, reduce school bus maintenance fees, significantly cut consumption of even more expensive fossil fuels AND save taxpayer dollars.

There’s even been an added incentive -- $30 million the settlement states received from Volkswagen to settle alleged Clean Air Act violations – to enhance state dollars.

Electric-powered school buses are ideal. While they do travel a lot of miles, they never go very far from their home base. They are idle significant portions of the day – thus can easily and regularly recharge. Regular maintenance costs are also significantly less than fossil-fueled buses.

No one of common sense could be against this. Unless you’re a Luddite the likes of Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who last week declared electric vehicles were “foolishness,” climate change was “pseudo-science” and the change of seasons is “the only climate change that I believe in.”

Thomas Built Buses, a North Carolina company leading the way in manufacturing electric-powered school buses, says that fuel costs are at least 40% less than diesel. Because these engines have fewer moving parts, maintenance is significantly less – even considering the costs of battery replacement.

“Even when you consider the higher purchase price, maintenance costs, power costs and possible battery replacement, an electric school bus could still save schools nearly $2,000 a year in fuel and $4,400 a year in maintenance costs,” say the High Point-based Thomas Built folks. “Electric buses make up for their higher purchase costs within 13 years of operation (a typical school bus is eligible for state-funded replacement only if it is more than 20 years old) and end up saving more than $31,000 in operational costs over the lifetime of the bus.”

Rather than follow the uninformed and dismissive logic of Lt. Gov. Robinson, North Carolina’s leaders should follow the facts and embrace ways to transition the state’s more than 14,100 daily-operating buses as quickly as possible into a fleet of electric buses.

The state Department of Environmental Quality has given it a good boost with the awarding of $30 million from the VW settlement for school districts around the state – mostly in rural areas -- to purchase 49 electric—powered buses.

Additionally, the federal government through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Clean School Bus Program, is making $5 billion available over the next five years to replace traditionally fueled buses. Last year more than $890 million in federal funds was distributed for clean-energy school buses with five grants, worth about $12.4 million, awarded to North Carolina schools’ systems for 31 buses.

Just last month the federal Environmental Protection Agency accepted applications for more than $400 million in grants that are being distributed nationwide for the replacement of existing school buses with clean and zero-emission buses.

Having a reliable resource to power school buses that isn’t subject to the wild fluctuation of global oil prices would provide stability for state and local school budgets as well as savings for taxpayers. It is most welcome to see, despite the cynicism of the likes of Lt. Gov. Robinson, state and local energy and school officials are embracing opportunities to expand electric buses in their fleets.

Furthermore, with a more than $3.5 billion state budget surplus – as well as providing authorization for much-needed statewide and local school bond issues – significant additional funding could easily be made available to increase the state’s public school systems’ electric school bus fleet.

Electric power for school buses and other buses used for local transit are ideal – for reliability, maintenance and efficient use of resources – both natural and from taxpayers.

As the legislature continues its work on the state budget, making provisions to increase the fleet of electric-powered buses is an easy choice and must be a top priority.

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