Con Edison Provides $9 Million to Jump-start First Student School Bus Electrification in Brooklyn
Partnership With First Student Will Improve Air Quality, Reduce Noise & Advance New York’s Clean Energy Goals
First Student electric school buses featuring rooftop solar panels at a charging depot. For illustrative purposes only.
Twelve electric school buses will take students to class in Brooklyn, thanks to a pioneering partnership between Con Edison and First Student, North America’s largest school transportation provider.
This initiative, supported by a $9 million investment by Con Edison, marks an important step toward a reduction in pollution and noise level, replacing diesel-fueled school buses.
Currently, four of the electric buses are operational, with plans to have the entire fleet of 12 up and running by next school year. These electric buses produce zero emissions, effectively eliminating the release of harmful pollutants into the air our children breathe.
“New York’s children and families deserve clean air, which is why we are proud to partner with First Student to launch more electric school buses on our streets,” said Britt Reichborn-Kjennerud, director, E-Mobility, Con Edison. “Con Edison will continue to make critical investments in clean energy so that every New Yorker can have a higher quality of life and thrive in communities free from the harmful impacts of pollution.”
"This project showcases the innovative potential of electrification in urban areas like Brooklyn, where space is limited, and the demand for clean energy is high," said First Student CEO and President John Kenning. "By combining solar power with electric school buses and our advanced First Charge solution, we’re not only reducing emissions but also creating a smart energy hub that supports the local grid and enhances community resilience. This demonstration project paves the way for sustainable transportation solutions that can be replicated in cities across the country, all while providing students with a cleaner, quieter, and safer ride to school."
“What a win for the health and safety of New York’s students and the bus staff who transport them to school,” said Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice Executive Director, Elijah Hutchinson. “This project builds off the great work our office has been doing convening school bus vendors, connecting them to funding and financing opportunities, and supporting them with applying for over 1,400 electric school buses. When we all work together, we can clean the air we breathe and get us closer to our ambitious goal of electrifying the nation's largest school bus fleet by 2035.”
The electrification of school buses and other medium- and heavy-duty fleets is consistent with Con Edison’s Clean Energy Commitment and advances New York State’s clean energy goals.
The benefits of electric school buses are extensive, from improving air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, to saving school districts money and creating clean energy manufacturing jobs and quieter communities.
The buses will be charged using smart energy management software, which will allow First Student to reduce electric bills without compromising operational needs.
Each bus will have solar panels atop its roof. In addition, First Student will charge the buses at a depot on Malta Street with power from a 500-kilowatt solar array. The depot will also have a two-megawatt battery that will discharge power into the buses’ batteries. (A kilowatt is 1,000 watts, while a megawatt is a million watts.)
The project will provide Con Edison with valuable information as the company prepares its grid for the coming influx of electric vehicles, including medium- and heavy-duty truck and bus fleets.
Electric school buses have a much greater fuel efficiency than diesel buses – around 2.17 kWh per mile, or 17.35 miles per diesel gallon equivalent (DGE). A standard diesel bus has a fuel efficiency of about 4.2 miles per DGE, which is four times less efficient than its electric counterpart.
Diesel emissions contribute to heart disease, asthma and other illnesses and are especially dangerous for young children and bus drivers. The electricity that powers these buses and other EVs will increasingly be produced by clean energy as New York transitions its energy portfolio.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, diesel exhaust carries acid rain, which enters the human food chain, and contributes to ground-level ozone, which damages crops and trees.
The puffs of black smoke that come out through the tailpipe of a diesel vehicle also contain nitrogen oxides, which cause and aggravate respiratory illnesses and contribute to climate change.
Con Edison is a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc. [NYSE: ED], one of the nation’s largest investor-owned energy companies, with approximately $15 billion in annual revenues for the year-end 2023 and $68 billion in assets as of June 30, 2024. The utility delivers electricity, natural gas and steam, and serves 3.7 million customers in New York City and Westchester County. For financial, operations and customer service information, visit conEd.com.
As the leading school transportation solutions provider in North America, First Student strives to provide unmatched care and the safest ride to school to 5.5 million students every day. With a team of highly trained drivers, the company will complete 1 billion student trips during the 2024-25 school year. First Student delivers reliable, quality services, including full-service transportation and management, special-needs transportation, fleet electrification, route optimization, and scheduling, maintenance, and charter services with a fleet of about 45,000 buses. For more information, visit firststudentinc.com.