The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) this week announced more than $4.2 million in awards to help electrify school buses in five school districts—including Holyoke Public Schools, which was awarded $850,000 through a partnership with Highland Electric.
The funding falls under a second round of MassCEC’s ACT School Bus Fleet Deployment Program. In addition to Holyoke, school districts in Boston, Fall River, New Bedford, and Worcester will receive funding and/or technical assistance.
Holyoke Public Schools’ transportation operation is contracted to Durham School Services. HPS, Durham, and Highland Electric will work together to use the $850,000 in funding to help support the purchase of five Type D electric school buses, as well as five chargers, which will be used to transport HPS students.
“This funding will allow Highland Electric to start building a fleet of electric school buses for Holyoke Public Schools,” said HPS Director of Enrollment Services & Transportation Rebecca Lamb. “Over time, we anticipate adding more electrified buses, which will help support better air quality in our city and provide other environmental benefits.”
The ACT School Bus Program funding is intended to provide fleets with hands-on technical assistance and funding during initial planning and procurement that will enable school districts to continue to electrify future portions of their fleet autonomously or with scaled back assistance.
“The Healey-Driscoll Administration frequently hears from school districts that want to reduce their carbon footprints and electrify their school bus fleets,” said Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rebecca Tepper, who also serves as chair of MassCEC’s Board of Directors.
“MassCEC’s ACT School Bus Program provides the funding and technical assistance these districts need to accelerate this transition and put electric buses on the road,” she said.
This funding is made possible by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs through the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s (MassDEP) Climate Protection and Mitigation Expendable Trust. Since 2022, MassDEP has contributed nearly $28.3 million towards MassCEC’s ACT School Bus Program. MassCEC has also previously received an additional $5 million in supplemental funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding and other agency resources.
“When communities electrify their school bus fleets, they make air quality safer for students and entire neighborhoods,” said Massachusetts Clean Energy Center CEO Dr. Emily Reichert.
Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler agrees. “The ACT School Bus Program is enabling our school districts to transition to clean energy transportation, creating healthier communities, and school environments where kids and families can breathe clean air,” he said.
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center is a state economic development agency dedicated to accelerating the growth of the clean energy and climate-tech sector across the Commonwealth to spur job creation, deliver statewide environmental benefits, and secure long-term economic opportunities for the people of Massachusetts.