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Dunn County Transit delays electric bus rollout; solar charging grant on hold
Summary
Staff reported ongoing delays and coordination issues with WisDOT on electric bus procurement and said a $160,000 solar grant remains inactive; staff continue to seek temporary conventional buses and camera system upgrades pending awards.
Dunn County Transit told the board on June 11 that the agency is still working through procurement and coordination problems tied to electric buses and charging infrastructure, and that a previously awarded solar grant of roughly $160,000 has not been advanced.
Transit staff member Austin said the county has reached out repeatedly to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) but has not received recent responses. “I reached out to WisDOT on the they haven't answered an email since November,” Austin said, and later explained the procurement lead who had shepherded the file since 2018 retired, leaving current WisDOT contacts less familiar with the project details.
Because of the delay, staff said they applied last December for a conventional small gas bus to address fleet aging and that agencies have not yet been awarded vehicles for the year. Austin said he also applied for a new onboard camera system and is awaiting award notification.
On charging and solar infrastructure, staff described a previously revoked grant and a separate $160,000 grant the county is carrying forward on the capital side. Staff said the original grant envisioned rooftop panels without battery storage; to use solar effectively with electric buses they would want panels plus storage so buses charge at night and energy is not simply sold back to the grid. “Originally, when this was set up as a grant, it was just panels, not like a battery harnessing system,” Austin said. He added that the county is holding funds in reserve while electric bus technology and costs change: “That would just with the upside of solar by keeping them in the bank because their prices have gone down and the water just go up.”
Staff reported fleet lifecycle numbers: one vehicle’s expected shelf life is about 200,000 miles (approximately seven years), and two other buses show odometer readings around 115,000–126,000 miles. Staff said they are trying to avoid a situation in which multiple buses reach end‑of‑life before replacements arrive and are evaluating conventional gas buses as an interim solution.
No formal decisions or votes were taken on procurement at the June 11 meeting. Staff said they would continue coordination with WisDOT, follow up with peer agencies that operate similar vehicles, and report progress at future meetings.
