Jefferson County Public Schools, Colo., Deploys 6 IC Electric Buses With Bidirectional Chargers
Xcel Energy contributed $3.4 million through its Electric School Bus Program, with Highland Electric Fleets delivering the project under an Electrification-as-a-Service arrangement.
Source: Highland Electric Fleets ↗
Jefferson County Public Schools in Lakewood, Colorado, marked the launch of six IC electric school buses and six bidirectional chargers at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Sept. 30 at the district’s transportation facility at 809 Quail St., with Xcel Energy and Highland Electric Fleets as program partners.
Xcel Energy provided $3.4 million through its Electric School Bus (ESB) Program to support the district’s shift to electric transportation. Across Colorado, the program is backing 38 electric school buses and 30 bidirectional charging systems statewide.
Highland Electric Fleets is delivering the project through its Electrification-as-a-Service (EaaS) model, which bundles the buses, charging infrastructure and long-term operating services under a single arrangement. The six buses will enter service during the current school year.
Beyond student transportation, the buses and chargers will serve as a working demonstration of bidirectional charging. When connected and not in service, the buses can store electricity and return it to the grid, giving the district and Xcel Energy real-world data on integrating that capability with fleet operations.
Brian Buccella, Chief Commercial Officer at Highland Electric Fleets, tied the air-quality case directly to the technology: “Replacing just five diesel buses with electric school buses can reduce pediatric asthma risk for 1,500 students, while bidirectional technology creates the potential for those same buses to serve as mobile energy assets when they aren’t on the road.”
Robert Kenney, president of Xcel Energy’s Colorado operations, said the program is meant to build district capacity with grid-support technology as well as reduce emissions: “Through our Electric School Bus Program, we’re helping school districts like Jefferson County Public Schools invest in cleaner transportation today while gaining valuable experience with technologies that can strengthen and add flexibility to the grid in the years ahead.”
Jeff Gatlin, Chief Operating Officer at Jeffco Public Schools, said the partnership gives the district a direct look at how the energy technology could benefit the broader Lakewood community: “These new electric buses will deliver cleaner air for our students and schools while giving us a hands-on look at how innovative energy solutions can benefit our entire Lakewood community.” Following the ceremony, attendees rode one of the new buses. Jeffco serves 75,000 students across 145 schools and, with 14,000 employees, is the largest employer in Jefferson County.
