Technical Assistance and Resources for School Districts
The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation offers a wide variety of technical assistance and resources for fleet managers transitioning their school bus fleet to alternative fuels. This includes help for planning and implementation of both zero-emissions buses and the infrastructure necessary to operate them. The resources below can help school districts deploy clean buses in their communities.
Ride Electric
Learn how the Joint Office and partner agencies are supporting the transition to zero-emission school buses.
Tools
Use the tools below to begin planning your fleet’s transition to electric school buses.
- Electric School Bus Route Analysis Tool: A tool to assist school bus fleets in determining the bus energy usage and charger power needs for their unique bus routes. Learn how it can work for you with this instructional video.
- Electric School Bus Charging Station Planning Form: A tool to assist school bus fleets in organizing their site information to share with their utility and charging station provider.
- WRI Electric School Bus RFP Template: Ready-to-edit template from the World Resources Institute (WRI) for developing a request for proposals (RFPs) for electric school buses and charging infrastructure
Programs & Funding
Find federal funding and other opportunities for your electrification project below.
- Clean School Bus Program: Information and educational resources from the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean School Bus Program
- Clean Bus Planning Awards Program: The Clean Bus Planning Awards (CBPA) program reduces barriers to zero-emission bus deployment by providing school and transit bus fleets with free technical assistance to develop comprehensive and customized fleet electrification transition plans.
- AFDC Laws & Incentives: Find federal and state laws and incentives for alternative fuels and vehicles, air quality, fuel efficiency, and other transportation-related topics.
Educational Resources
Learn more about the process of electrifying your fleet with these resources.
- Electric School Bus Forum: A forum for electric school bus fleets to pose and answer questions on school bus electrification.
- Electric School Bus Education: Educational webinars and handouts from the Alternative Fuels Data Center that provide information about the benefits of electric school buses and examples of their use.
- Cold Weather Impacts on Electric School Buses: A handout explaining how to prepare an electric fleet for cold temperatures.
- Hot Weather Impacts on Electric School Buses: A handout explaining how to prepare an electric fleet for hot temperatures.
Webinars
Find helpful webinars catered to districts, OEMs, fleet managers, technicians, and drivers looking for school bus electrification solutions below.
- Zero-Emission Bus Resources Webinar: Learn about resources for transitioning your fleet and about the Route Analysis Tool.
- Overview for Electric School Bus Operators Webinar: This is the first in a four-part series of webinars providing operators, technicians, and other school bus fleet members with a fundamental understanding of electric school bus technology
- Fleet Planning Q & A Webinar: Learn about proper fleet planning and route analysis.
- Clean School Bus: JOET - TA Overview & Utility Planning Webinar: Get an overview of technical assistance resources from the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation.
- Clean School Bus: Training, Maintenance Considerations, and Electric Bus Myths Webinar: Learn about training and maintenance considerations for electric school buses, as wells as common myths and facts.
- Technical Assistance & Utility Planning Webinar: Learn from representatives of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation and the EPA as they discuss technical aspects and utility planning.
- EPA Clean School Bus Program Webinar: Learn more about electric and Clean School Bus infrastructure.
- Clean School Bus: Fleet Planning and Route Analysis: Learn how to plan to transition your school bus fleet.
Case Studies
See how other districts have used Joint Office resources to start their electrification process.
- Massachusetts School Fleets Get Answers through Electric Bus Testing: Case study on a $2 million pilot project that allowed three school districts to purchase Type C electric school buses and Level 2 bidirectional vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging stations