Committee advances bill letting districts opt into electric school buses, with questions on cost and charging

The House Education Committee gave a do-pass recommendation to House Bill 32, which would amend the Public School Finance Act and the public school code to allow school districts the option to replace diesel school buses with electric or other zero-emission buses and to negotiate agreements to use bus batteries as energy storage or grid services.

Supporters told the committee electric buses can improve indoor air quality, reduce student exposure to diesel exhaust and, in some districts, be deployed as vehicle-to-grid assets that provide revenue or emergency power. Opponents and several committee members raised questions about up-front costs for buses and charging infrastructure, battery replacement costs and how the technology would perform in cold or rural conditions.

Representative Sarah Nana, sponsor of HB 32, told the committee the bill is optional: a district would not be required to change buses but could choose to do so and negotiate vehicle-to-grid agreements with utilities. Technical witness Charles Goodmacher estimated districts could earn about $20,000 per year in some cases by selling power back to the grid during peak demand periods.

Students, health advocates and environmental groups testified in favor. Nineteen-year-old Santiago Hardy of NM Native Vote said diesel exhaust made bus rides noisy and nauseating and that electric buses would make routes quieter and improve air quality for riders. Joanna Strether of the American Lung Association described diesel exhaust as a known carcinogen and urged the committee to support the bill to protect student health.

Committee members pressed for numbers and operational details. Witnesses and proponents said an electric school bus typically costs roughly $400,000 compared with roughly $135,000–$185,000 for a diesel bus; proponents said grant programs (including federal and settlement grants) and a separate bill in the legislature that would provide infrastructure funding could help cover the gap. Witnesses said a typical range for current electric buses is up to about 120 miles on a charge, manufacturers generally guarantee batteries for eight to ten years, and an out‑of‑warranty battery replacement has been estimated by a witness at about $30,000.

Representative Vincent and others raised concerns about the environmental footprint of batteries, mining for critical minerals, charger costs, maintenance training for mechanics and fire-safety questions related to battery thermal runaway; witnesses and advocates acknowledged tradeoffs and said the technology is already in use in rural New Mexico districts such as Dulce and in Santa Fe and Las Cruces.

Proponents pointed to operational savings on fuel and maintenance, quieter rides that can improve student behavior on trips, and potential emergency uses for bus batteries. Several witnesses noted the bill contains no mandatory purchase requirement and is intended to give districts an option.

Representative Lada moved a do-pass recommendation; the committee recorded a do-pass recommendation by a vote of 6 to 5. The measure will move forward for further legislative consideration.