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Sweet Home receives three electric buses and three chargers; officials point to grants and training
Summary
The district received three electric buses and charging stations, with administrators saying drivers and maintenance staff have been trained and that additional buses could arrive if EPA funding remains available.
Sweet Home officials said three electric buses and three charging stations have arrived at the district transportation center and that drivers, maintenance staff and local first responders have participated in safety training.
Superintendent Dr. Genestri told the board the buses were part of a multiyear initiative and that the district expects the new vehicles to be on the road in the coming weeks. "Our charging stations and three first three electric buses have arrived," he said. Officials said they expect those buses to enter service by April.
Funding and grants: Administrators said the district secured grant support to lower the net cost. Dr. Genestri said the district received about $245,000 in funding per bus for the first three and a NYSERDA charging voucher of about $155,000 per charger. He credited partners including Matthews Buses and funding programs for reducing the district's net expense.
Training and safety: Matthews Buses ran safety briefings for district staff and local first responders, the district said. Officials described multiple redundancies and safety features on newer electric buses and said drivers and maintenance staff have ongoing training plans.
Future purchases and mandates: District leaders said they are planning additional charging stations and, pending federal EPA funding, could add eight more buses. Administrators referenced a statewide or federal mandate timeframe but the transcript record includes a possible transcription error about the final fleet transition date; district leaders said they are proceeding under the assumption that electric fleet targets remain in place and that they will continue to pursue grants and partnerships.
Ending: Officials said the district is moving forward with phased bus deployment while continuing to monitor grant availability; they said they would update the board and the public on timing for additional purchases and charging-station construction.
