A North Carolina electric co-op is providing two of the state’s school districts with electric powered buses for its students.
Roanoke Cooperative has so far provided Bertie County Schools system with the first of a planned five buses, and Halifax County Schools with the first of four.
Bertie County’s 60-kW, dual-port DC vehicle charger was unveiled at Bertie County High School in Windsor.
“Roanoke serves one of the most economically distressed regions in the state, and these two school districts are among the most distressed in North Carolina,” said Roanoke Cooperative president and CEO, Marshall Cherry, at the event. “They have limited resources, so it’s especially gratifying to see them get these buses.”
The Bertie County bus and charger cost around $400,000. They have been funded by the Volkswagen Clean Air Act Settlement, a US$2bn fund created by the German auto manufacturer after it was sued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2016 for falsifying its emissions data.
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The other buses are funded by the EPA’s $5bn Clean School Bus Program, part of the US bipartisan infrastructure law.
“This initiative is not just about advancing technology; it’s about educating our students and community on the importance of renewable energy and sustainability,” said Cherry.
Roanoke Cooperative was originally established in 1938 to provide light and power to farms, and since then has evolved to serve a variety of industrial, recreational, educational and community interests in addition to farming.
The co-op plans to have a total of nine electric school buses on the road within the next two to three years and is pursuing a sustainability goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.
Cherry added: “We are excited to continue working with our partners and community to promote renewable energy and sustainability, ensuring that we all move towards a greener future together.”
