October 19, 2023 (Hershey, Neb.) — Hershey Public Schools has recently added an all-electric school bus to its fleet thanks to a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program. The $395,000 grant, which was awarded in October 2022, is aimed at promoting environmentally friendly transportation for students. The grant was presented to six schools in Nebraska.
HPS is committed to ensuring the well-being of its students and the community by embracing clean energy solutions. The school carefully considered various options for the electric bus, ultimately choosing the Blue Bird 71 passenger model with a 155 kilowatt hour battery system, capable of charging at up to 60 kilowatts. The bus was delivered in October from Colorado/West Equipment.
Dawson Public Power District provided both financial and technical assistance with acquiring an electric vehicle charging station. Through its wholesale provider, Nebraska Public Power Dawson PPD’s Beneficial Electrification Program provided an incentive for 90 percent of all equipment and installation costs. Bobby Johnson, Energy Services Specialist at Dawson PPD, coordinated the efforts to acquire and install the EV charging station.
“This opportunity to utilize a cleaner transportation solution would not have been possible without the financial support of both the EPA Clean School Bus Program and Dawson PPD’s Beneficial Electrification Program,” said HPS Superintendent Jane Davis. “These programs have helped HPS acquire a new school bus at a lower cost to the district than a traditional bus. An all-electric school bus will also save HPS through lower fuel and maintenance costs.”
A Level 3 charging station was installed in the school’s bus barn. The installation was coordinated by HPS, Dawson PPD and Copeland Electric. An upgrade to the school’s electrical infrastructure was necessary to support the high-powered charging station. Dawson PPD upgraded the service from single phase to three phase with 90 percent of those costs also covered by the BE incentive.
Hershey Public Schools remains dedicated to providing a clean and sustainable transportation solution for its students and community, contributing to a brighter, greener future for all.
“I encourage all school districts to embrace the opportunity to add an electric bus to their fleets; it has been a very rewarding experience,” Davis added. “I want to thank Dawson PPD and Copeland Electric for their assistance with this project!”
For further information or media inquiries, please contact Jane Davis, Superintendent of
Hershey Public Schools, at jane.davis@hpspanthers.org (308-368-5572).