Tucson-area children can enjoy a cleaner, quieter ride to class on 11 new electric buses, thanks to support from Tucson Electric Power.
Tucson Unified and Flowing Wells Unified school districts purchased electric school buses and added charging stations at their locations with technical assistance and financial rebates from TEP.
TUSD celebrated the installation of the chargers and the rollout of 10 school buses at an early March ribbon-cutting event, which included representatives from the City of Tucson, U.S. Congress, and local partners.
“We appreciate this opportunity to be part of this project to bring these 10 beautiful buses to the school district. We’re really excited to continue to be out there on the leading edge to find ways to provide safe, reliable and affordable energy,” said Dallas Dukes, Senior Vice President of Customer and Strategic Affairs, at the event. “This demonstrates that we can find solutions through private and public partnerships to bring these benefits forward.”
TUSD plans to begin using the electric school buses on five routes this March, then additional routes next school year. Flowing Wells is already taking kids to school on its single EV bus.
In addition to giving rides to students, the electric school buses are part of a pilot vehicle-to-grid (V2G) program when school is out of session. During summer months, when demand on the electric grid is highest, TEP plans to deploy reserved electricity from the school bus batteries to the grid for use in the community. By using the stored electricity when it’s needed the most, TEP can partially avoid using other, more costly resources. This helps us “defeat the peak” while supporting greater reliability, lowering costs and reducing carbon emissions.
TEP provided the infrastructure to feed energy from the bus back on to the electric grid. TUSD’s 10-bus EV fleet and Flowing Wells’ single EV bus are part of the first V2G-equipped electric school bus project in the state.
TEP has been working with school districts for several years to get electric school buses on the road. TEP worked alongside RWC Group, Schneider Electric, and InCharge on this project.
TEP provided technical assistance and other support for the districts to successfully obtain Environmental Protection Agency Clean School Bus grants. Both school districts were awarded funding from the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program in 2024.
TEP also offered funding for charging infrastructure and additional grant support, helping to cover costs beyond the funding provided by the EPA. With zero emissions, these buses support cleaner air and deliver broader benefits to our community and the local grid.
Flowing Wells’ electric bus travels more than 50 miles each day daily on six routes to elementary through high schools, with more than enough battery capacity to make it through each day. TEP provided gap funding to purchase the bus and obtain the bidirectional charger.
“The Flowing Wells Unified School District is grateful for the support and partnership of Tucson Electric Power in helping us launch our first electric school bus,” said Kevin Stoltzfus, Flowing Wells’ Superintendent. “Without TEP’s financial support and guidance throughout the grant process, the District would not have had the resources to make this EV bus possible.
Supporting the districts’ transition to electric school buses is one more way TEP is carrying out our vision of positively impacting the lives of our communities. Paired with efforts like Sun Tran’s bus electrification and Sabino Canyon’s electric shuttles, this project supports Tucson’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan by reducing emissions and expanding clean transportation.
“Together, we’re moving toward a healthier, more sustainable future for everyone,” said Gabriella Abou-Zeid, Senior Program Manager.
