Duquesne Light Company Powers Pittsburgh Public Schools’ First Electric School Buses
DLC built and powered the infrastructure necessary for PPS to charge 16 new electric school buses, with an even larger electric fleet in the works
Students at Pittsburgh Public Schools can breathe cleaner air and experience safer, more efficient transportation after the deployment of 16 electric school buses powered by Duquesne Light Company (DLC). DLC, which built new infrastructure to service the fleet’s charging stations, helped PPS celebrate the project’s completion on March 19 during a ribbon-cutting event at the district’s transportation depot in the Chateau area of the North Side.
The buses are provided by the district’s transportation contractor First Student and funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Clean School Bus Program. DLC’s Electrification Solutions team first partnered with PPS and First Student nearly two years ago to connect this historic project to the grid, from project design to construction. Unlike traditional diesel buses, electric models emit zero tailpipe emissions, contributing to cleaner air and fewer greenhouse gases. Electric buses are also a smart, long-term financial investment for school districts because they require less maintenance and repairs, in addition to money saved on fuel.
DLC’s Electric Fleet Advisory Service and Fleet Charging Program has helped other schools reap the health benefits and cost savings of fleet electrification, but as the region’s largest district, PPS is multiplying the positive impacts across an even larger footprint.
“Large transportation fleets, whether it’s schools or commercial owners, have outsize influence on our air quality and the well-being of the communities they serve,” said Sarah Olexsak, DLC’s general manager of electrification solutions. “We’re committed to helping them navigate the clean energy transition efficiently and effectively so everyone in our communities can reap the financial and environmental benefits of EVs.”
This month’s deployment is just the beginning of electric transportation at PPS. The next phase will require DLC to design and build additional electrical infrastructure, such as meters, conduits and panels, to accommodate charging stations for 45 more electric school buses. The new fleet will also include larger buses that can travel farther on a single charge, allowing even more students to start and end their school day in a cleaner, calmer environment.