Portland Public Schools unveils first all-electric school buses

PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV) - Two all-electric school buses were unveiled by Portland Public Schools on Wednesday.

The buses, which were built by GreenPower, are part of the district’s commitment to develop an all-electric fleet and to reach net zero emissions by 2040, which are goals included in its Climate Crisis Response Policy.

PPS said the buses will go into service as soon as possible. A third all-electric bus will arrive this summer.

“Our school system is steadfast in our commitment to ensure we respond to the climate crisis,” said PPS Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero. “With the support and collaboration of key partners, we are now taking concrete steps towards making us a more sustainable organization by starting to electrify our school bus fleet.”

PPS says the buses will provide cleaner air, reduce noise pollution, and make communicating with students much safer for drivers.

Guerrero says the first two buses will be used for special education students as the quiet nature of the bus will be more beneficial for them.

“Not only are we the largest school system in the state, we’re the largest employer with 86 campuses and locations,” Guerrero said. “We have a responsibility to look at all the ways that we can be responsible. This is why our policy sets out some direction in some areas where we’re going to be looking under the hood.”

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The purchase of the new buses was made possible in part by a donation from Pacific Power, along with funds from Portland General Electric’s Electric School Bus Fund, which is funded via the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s Clean Fuels Program.

“Portland General Electric is excited to award funds from DEQ’s Oregon Clean Fuels Program to support our partners in expanding cleaner transportation systems across the state,” said Elyssia Lawrence, Senior Manager, Product Manager and head of PGE’s Transportation Electrification team. “Transportation electrification plays an essential role in accelerating the clean energy transition. It is going to take all of us working together to achieve a cleaner and more equitable future for all Oregonians.”