Is the Grid Ready to Support Electric School Buses?

Both the Federal and State governments continue to push for adoption of electric buses in the nation's school districts. This makes sense on an individual level for a number of reasons. Electric school buses run more cleanly, they're cheaper to operate, and they're easier to maintain over time with fewer repairs needed. Plus, of course, they protect students and the environment from harmful gasoline emissions.

But there's also the big picture to consider: Is the US grid and charging infrastructure ready for a major changeover to EVs in the years to come? The answer, for the most part, is YES!

How More Electric School Buses May Affect the Grid

The first big question is simply whether the US grid can handle the extra load, and that answer is easily yes. The United States' electric grid is capable of producing far more energy than is currently being used. Power plants are virtually always "future-proofed" and designed to accommodate growth in usage for decades into the future.

Also, it's worth remembering that electric bus adoption is going to be a slow process which will also take decades. We'll likely still see gas-burning buses on the road into the 2040s-50s, at least. So, it's not like all those new buses are going to come into existence immediately. There will be plenty of time to adapt and adjust.

Another major factor is the development of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technologies. In short, it's becoming possible for electric vehicles to dump their electricity back onto the grid during times of high demand. These arrangements typically involve payments to people sending electricity back.

This can even bring some net benefits to school districts. It would theoretically be possible to charge their buses during off-peak times - like overnight - when the rates are cheap, then sell that energy back for a small profit during peak usage.

Electric buses can also potentially be used as backup batteries in a community, such as during power outages. Their large storage capacity can be put to good use locally in a crisis.

The One Big Issue: On-Road Charging

There is one area where the US isn't entirely ready for mass EV usage - public charging stations along the road. As of writing, there are approximately 200,000 public charging stations in the US, with around 1,000 being added every year, which is great.

However, distribution is still an issue. This map from the Department of Energy highlights the situation. The vast majority of charging stations are in urban areas, and become much spottier in rural areas.

The Midwest, in particular, still has some vast charging deserts. Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, and the Dakotas are especially lacking in public chargers at the moment. Districts in these areas probably still want to think hard about EV upgrades, or at least keep a few gas-burners around for long-distance trips.

The Future Is Ready for EVs

In short, there's no reason to think that increased adoption of electric buses will cause any substantial problems for the US power grid. We have huge capacity for energy generation, and having all that power stored in bus batteries can actually be beneficial in some situations.

Outside of some areas in the Midwest, most of the country is already prepared for mass EV adoption, and more public charging stations are being installed every week. Don't let big-picture concerns hold you back - for most districts this is a fine time to start looking to an electric future.

BusBoss is here to be your partner in school bus upgrades! From better routing to technological improvements, we can make your bus system safer and more efficient. Contact us to learn more.