• Exclusive Content
  • Events
  • Endeavor Business Media Energy
    1. e-Mobility

    CEC Grants $2.9M to Electric School Bus Bidirectional Charging Infrastructure in California

    Dec. 28, 2023
    The project will see three schools exporting power from their buses during peak summer periods, earning districts $2 per kWh through the Emergency Load Reduction Program
    The Mobility House
    658d82b75de375001eb6bd64 The Mobility House 2

    The California Energy Commission (CEC), through its Clean Transportation Program, has awarded a $2.9 million grant to The Mobility House-led project team to deploy 12 bidirectional chargers across four California school locations. 

    The project, named “Replicable V2X Deployment for Schools (RVXDS)”, will use school bus fleets to address regional grid emergencies, particularly during peak summertime periods. It will use replicable, open standards throughout the vehicles, hardware, and software.

    The Mobility House, an electric vehicle (EV) charging and energy solutions company, has partnered with organizations, including the World Resources Institute, Center for Transportation and the Environment, and Polara Energy USA, to support Fremont Unified School District, Pittsburg Unified School District, and the Napa Unified School District.

    The project will mark one of the first installations of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) connected systems within PG&E territory. It will see three schools exporting power from their buses during peak summer periods, earning districts $2 per kWh through the Emergency Load Reduction Program (ELRP) and preventing overloading of the community distribution system. 

    Additionally, one school will utilize bidirectional functionality for Vehicle-to-Building (V2B) resilience, acting as a community resilience hub.

    “Our interest is to establish real-world examples of V2G projects that other districts can easily replicate,” said Greg Hintler, CEO of North America at The Mobility House. “Through this project, we aim to reduce congestion on the same circuits by reducing the need for imported power, thus benefitting three school districts, the State of California, and grid reliability.”

    The Mobility House plans to document all project insights in a comprehensive Blueprint report, offering guidance to districts statewide on incorporating V2G into their school bus charging operations. Beyond financial benefits, the project is expected to enhance grid reliability, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and support disadvantaged communities during grid interruptions.

    “This project is a game-changer for our district, marking a significant stride in our journey towards a sustainable future. It not only brings financial relief but also strengthens our community's resilience,” said Matthew Belasco, Director of Maintenance, Operations, and Transportation at the Pittsburg Unified School District. 

    About the Author

    EnergyTech Staff

    Rod Walton is senior editor for EnergyTech.com. He has spent 14 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist.

    Walton formerly was energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World. Later, he spent six years covering the electricity power sector for Pennwell and Clarion Events. He joined Endeavor and EnergyTech in November 2021.

    He can be reached at [email protected]. 

    EnergyTech is focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids.

    Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.