Photo courtesy of Jamestown Public Schools

The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities and Jamestown Public School District have received a grant to study converting their bus fleet to all-electric operation.

The $95,623 award from the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) will go toward a comprehensive feasibility and planning study for the district’s bus fleet and facility conversion to an all-electric operation.

Recent changes to state law require that public school districts begin purchasing electric buses by 2027, with an all-electric fleet by 2035. The transition requires a thorough evaluation of the infrastructure necessary to support the full conversion to electric buses.

As the sole provider of electric power in the community, the Jamestown BPU must provide the necessary infrastructure to maintain an electric fleet. The BPU has proposed an evaluation process that will assess the electric distribution system, fleet garage electric service and charging requirements, fleet requirements and a cost-benefit analysis of converting the current district bus facility to an all-electric operation.

The potential for energy efficiency and an on-site solar application are other aspects of the evaluation.

The district maintains a fleet of 42 buses that are required for the daily transportation of approximately 750 pupils. Although most students live within walking distance of a school, transportation is provided to those who live in a transportation safety zone, students with special needs, and students educated in out-of-district settings.

Two companies, Stark Tech Group and Emerald Alternative Energy, will complete the project within a six to nine-month time frame.