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Metro Transit staff brief council on updated zero‑emission bus transition plan ahead of Feb. 15 legislative filing
Summary
Metro Transit staff told the Metropolitan Council on Jan. 22 that it will submit an updated zero‑emission bus (ZEB) transition plan to the Minnesota Legislature by Feb. 15 and outlined near‑term milestones, garage electrification work and risks including grid capacity, supply chain constraints and evolving technology.
Metro Transit staff presented an update on the agency’s updated zero‑emission bus (ZEB) transition plan at the Metropolitan Council’s Jan. 22 meeting and said the revised plan is due to the Legislature on Feb. 15 under new statutory timelines.
Assistant Director Jim Harwood and Assistant Director Jeremiah Reiter told the council the update shortens the plan cycle from five to three years and adds a set of 16 topics the agency must track. “The focus is gonna be on our updates, really what we've learned, what's changed, and what we still hope to learn over the next few years,” Harwood said.
Staff said Metro Transit currently operates eight 60‑foot battery electric buses (BEBs) on the C Line, is adding five 60‑foot BEBs to the Gold Line and expects an additional fleet of 40‑foot electric buses to enter service in 2026. The agency reported roughly 30 chargers (150 kW) in service, with some early failures covered under warranty and two on‑route chargers decommissioned in 2023 for safety and reliability concerns.
The presentation identified several constraints and areas for continued study: limited on‑route charging options reduce BEB range in practice and complicate scheduling; cold Minnesota winters and battery degradation require planning reserves; procurement supply chains have contracted and only two Buy‑America‑compliant bus manufacturers remain; and electric grid upgrades can take years, often requiring multiyear coordination with the utility (Xcel Energy). Harwood noted the East Metro and North Loop garages have had major electrical upgrades (megawatt‑class feeds) and the East Metro upgrades remain under construction.
Staff also described planned studies and project pilots that will inform future procurement choices, including fire hazard assessment and mitigation at garages, performance measures (mean distance between road calls, bus and charger availability), and energy‑per‑mile costs. They signaled the agency will track equity and environmental‑justice priorities when selecting deployment locations for BEBs.
Council members asked about the effect of decommissioning on‑route chargers on the C Line; staff said it has made scheduling and operations “more challenging” and increased reliance on depot charging. Members also asked about outreach and employee training. Staff said they are running internal town halls, operator and mechanic training with original equipment manufacturers, and external stakeholder engagement including an annual public summit and university forums.
Why this matters: the plan frames Metro Transit’s near‑term investments, garage upgrades and procurement priorities and sets the schedule for legislative reporting. Staff emphasized measured, incremental rollout to learn from pilot projects while maintaining service reliability.
Next steps: the transportation committee will consider a related business item and the full council will receive the updated plan and is scheduled to transmit it to the Legislature by Feb. 15.
