PGE awards seven cleaner, quieter electric school buses to area school districts

Beaverton, Centennial, Gresham-Barlow, Hillsboro, Portland and Salem-Keizer school districts will serve students with electric school buses next year

Sept. 27, 2021

PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland General Electric announced six winners of the 2021 Electric School Bus Fund, paving the way for seven additional electric school buses to be on the road serving Oregon students in 2022. Using funding from the Oregon Clean Fuels Program PGE, the Beaverton, Centennial, Gresham-Barlow, Hillsboro, Portland and Salem-Keizer school districts were chosen based on their commitments to meet the needs of underserved communities and incorporate the buses more broadly into student education around climate science. “Electrifying transportation is a key driver of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and an important step toward reaching our goal of 100 percent clean energy for all Oregonians,” said Maria Pope, president and CEO of Portland General Electric. “Seeing kids of all ages, our future, traveling to and from school in electric buses is a moment of pride for all of us at PGE, and we are excited to partner with school districts across the state.” The six districts will each receive funding to purchase an electric school bus, install charging infrastructure, and receive technical and training support. This is the second year of electric school bus competitive grant awards. Last year, PGE awarded buses to five school districts, several of which are now on the road PGE. The Electric School Bus Fund is covering the incremental cost of the electric school buses (the difference in cost between a standard diesel bus and an electric bus) and the total installation of charging infrastructure. PGE is also providing technical assistance to school districts throughout the process, including site assessments, cost-benefit analysis, vehicle and charger selection support, and driver and mechanic support. In return, participating school districts will work with PGE to share their insights and learnings with other school districts interested in electrifying their bus fleets. For the second year, PGE is working in partnership with Pacific Power to support the Portland Public Schools’ electric school bus and related infrastructure. Transportation is the single biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Oregon and a major source of other air pollutants. Benefits of the electric school buses include: Cleaner air

  • Electric school buses reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than half compared to a diesel school bus

  • Electric school buses have zero tailpipe emissions and reduce carbon monoxide emissions and nitrogen oxide emissions—which have significant negative health impacts, including asthma—by more than 80% than a diesel school bus

Safety and comfort

  • Electric school buses are quiet, reducing noise pollution in neighborhoods

  • Drivers and students are better able to communicate with each other

Lower cost

  • Electricity is less expensive than diesel, and prices are more stable over time

  • Electric school buses have far fewer moving parts and are expected to reduce maintenance costs by as much as 50%

About Portland General Electric Company
Portland General Electric (NYSE: POR) is a fully integrated energy company based in Portland, Oregon, with operations across the state. The company serves approximately 900,000 customers with a service area population of 2 million Oregonians in 51 cities. PGE owns 16 generation plants across Oregon and other Northwestern states and maintains and operates 14 public parks and recreation areas. For over 130 years, PGE has delivered safe, affordable and reliable energy to Oregonians. Together with its customers, PGE has the No. 1 voluntary renewable energy program in the U.S. PGE and its 3,000 employees are working with customers to build a clean energy future. In 2020, PGE, employees, retirees and the PGE Foundation donated $5.6 million and volunteered 18,200 hours with more than 400 nonprofits across Oregon. For more information visit portlandgeneral.com/news.

For more information contact:

John Farmer

503-464-2372

john.farmer@pgn.com