by Carrie & Garrick Moritz, Gazette
Last year, the Garretson School District purchased two new propane-fueled buses to take advantage of the Diesel Emission Reduction Act, which provided up to a 35% cost reimbursement if a school purchased a new bus with the reduced emissions diesel engines or the new propane fueled buses.
Last week, the school learned they were the recipients of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean School Bus Program rebate competition, which provided $3.6 million dollars from the recently-implemented Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to school districts around the United States.
Garretson was one of only six communities in the state to be awarded the rebate funds, which will help the school districts purchase ten clean school buses (nine electric-powered and one compressed natural gas). The EPA stated this will accelerate the transition to zero emissions vehicles and produce cleaner air in and around schools and communities.
The other five communities included Alexandria, DeSmet, Lower Brule, Viborg and Volga.
Of the six, Garretson was awarded enough funds for three electric buses, while the other communities were awarded funding for 1 or 2 buses. In total, the school district will receive up to $1,185,000 for the three vehicles.
Just before the special meeting last Wednesday regarding the athletic complex and potential opt out, Gazette Editor Garrick Moritz asked Superintendent Guy Johnson about the potential of these new buses.
“The district certainly won’t turn down potential resources,” he said. “However, we did just acquire two new, propane fueled buses and they’ve worked out excellently so far, and our drivers really like them."
The EPA stated that the investment will better protect children’s health, as well as drive demand for American-made batteries and vehicles, boosting domestic manufacturing and the creation of good-paying jobs.
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is delivering cleaner air and healthier environments for school children in communities across the Mountains and Plains region,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “These zero-emission electric buses will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and eliminate exposure to harmful pollutants such as soot, fine particulates, and nitrogen oxides. We look forward to expanding these efforts through future rounds of clean bus awards for our school districts.”
"These new electric buses are certainly interesting," said Superintendent Johnson. "Talking with other superintendents who’ve used them, they’re very cost effective. It costs us about 38 cents per mile for a diesel bus, and these electric ones run at about 16 cents per mile, so that is some real potential savings on fuel costs for the district."
However, there are some concerns about battery life and performance in the middle of the cold winter months.
"My big worry is how well they’ll do during January and February in the cold South Dakota winter," said Supt. Johnson. "How fast the batteries will drain, and how well they’ll stand up to the winter conditions.”
According to the Norwegian Automobile Federation (NAF), electric vehicles (EVs) can lose approximately 20% of their range in colder climates, and EVs do charge more slowly in cold environments.
However, this range loss is compared to the World Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP), which measures ranges of 23 km (14.3 miles) in summer temperatures and laboratory conditions, which doesn't necessarily correlate with real-world usage. The NAF also pointed out that vehicles can be installed with winter edition equipment, which includes heat pump and battery insulation, which can impact range.
Blue Bird, which manufactures most school buses in the area, states that their electric bus fleet has a 120-mile range and a battery that charges in 8 hours on a standard Level 2 charger. The company also states that schools would see a significant reduction in maintenance costs due to fewer moving parts, as oil changes, spark plug replacements, and transmission maintenance is not required.
Lifetime battery length was not pointed out, which is another concern for EVs. Batteries will only last so long before they no longer hold a charge, and their manufacture does utilize heavy metals that are not only toxic to the environment but have humanitarian concerns as well, since many of those metals are mined in high-poverty nations with lower regulations. Car and Driver points out that for regular EVs, battery life has consistently lasted 8 to 10 years.
“President Biden’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is accelerating our nation’s transition to electric and low-emission school buses while ensuring a brighter, healthier future for our children,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “As many as 25 million children rely on the bus to get to school each day. Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration, we are making an unprecedented investment in our children’s health, especially those in communities overburdened by air pollution. This is just the beginning of our work to build a healthier future, reduce climate pollution, and ensure the clean, breathable air that all our children deserve.”
In May, the EPA announced the availability of $500 million for its Clean School Bus Program. Given overwhelming demand from school districts across the country, including in low-income communities, Tribal nations, and territories, the EPA nearly doubled the amount of funding that will be awarded to $965 million. The rebate application period closed in August with an outstanding response from school districts seeking to purchase electric and low-emission school buses across the country.
Those school districts who received an award will be able to proceed with purchasing new buses and eligible infrastructure, according to the EPA. They also state they are partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy and Department of Transportation to provide school districts with robust technical assistance to ensure effective implementation. Another $1 billion will be made available in 2023 for more buses.
The following amounts were made available to the six South Dakota communities: Alexandria, $395,000, 1 bus; DeSmet, $395,000, 1 bus; Garretson, $1,185,000, 3 buses; Lower Brule, $395,000, 1 bus; Viborg, $440,000, 2 buses; Volga, $790,000, 2 buses.
Supt. Johnson said he was interested in the prospect of the award money and the program.
"Obviously, we’ll be talking about this at the board level and I certainly think it will be an interesting prospect," he said.
