School Districts in TVA Region Adopt Cleaner Transportation

It's a familiar sight to every American: A yellow school bus pulls up to a stop, belching a cloud of exhaust into the crisp morning air.

The rumble from its diesel engine echoes over the streets, drowning out the laughter of children as they board the bus.

But then, a different kind of moment unfolds.

Around the corner, a sleek yellow bus glides almost silently down the road. There’s no roar of an engine, and no exhaust fumes drifting away.

It's a picture of a cleaner, healthier future for student transportation – and it’s already happening at school districts across TVA’s seven-state region.

Clean School Bus Program

The difference between these buses? One is powered by a traditional diesel engine, the other, electric.

On the nation’s continuing path to reducing air pollutants and carbon emissions, electric buses are catching the attention of school districts throughout the region.

In 2021, the U.S. Environmental Project Agency launched the Clean School Bus Program, offering up to $5 billion in rebates and grants to help school districts pay for electric buses and their required infrastructure.

The first round of funding, which occurred in summer 2022, proved significant for school districts in TVA’s seven-state service area, with roughly 20 districts securing a total of $55 million to purchase over 130 electric school buses.

In the program’s second rebate round, 11 districts in the TVA region received funding for an additional 49 electric buses.

TVA has supported school districts throughout the entire journey, helping navigate the application process, providing technical assistance and offering guidance on best practices and tactical resources.

“The process of electrifying school buses can seem daunting at first, which is why we are offering outreach, support and assistance,” said Ryan Stanton, TVA’s senior project manager for the EV Evolution Initiative. “We want schools to know they are not alone in their journey.”

Exceeding Expectations

In east Tennessee, Bledsoe County School District secured funds from two sources to purchase four electric school buses – and the district is already reaping the benefits of this new technology.

“These buses have exceeded my expectations,” said Bill Thurman, a Bledsoe County School District mechanic and bus driver. “They have more power, a good braking system and they're quieter.”

Brian Turner, the district’s transportation director, highlights an important fact: The buses came at no cost to the district.

“School buses have seen nearly a 70% price increase over the past three years,” Turner said. “By receiving this funding, we are able to replace our older buses for next to nothing.”

While an electric school bus costs about $400,000 compared to $150,000 for a traditional diesel bus, the savings extend beyond the initial purchase.

For instance, while a diesel bus guzzles about $800 worth of fuel every month, Turner was pleased to discover that powering an electric school bus only costs the district $425 a month.

The electric buses also come with significantly lower maintenance costs.

“We’ve seen some savings in our district, especially with maintenance,” Turner said.

It’s a similar story in Alabama, where Albertville City School System has found powering electric buses is about 35% cheaper than fueling diesel buses. The district has operated 19 electric buses since April 2024, thanks to the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program.

Electric buses now account for about a third of the Albertville school district’s total fleet, saving the district about $15,000 a year on service costs, according to Jimmy Umphrey, transportation supervisor at Albertville City School System.

“Our drivers love the buses, with a short learning curve to adjust from combustible engines,” Umphrey said. “The buses provide a much cleaner and quieter ride for our students – and a quieter bus promotes safer transportation with less distractions."

The savings on fuel and maintenance can be redirected toward essential resources that directly benefit students.

“By getting these buses that are saving money in these communities, they have money that they can put back into their education system – books, teachers and more activities,” Stanton said.

Positive Outcomes

The electric buses aren’t just cost-effective – they also deliver on environmental and air quality benefits.

Studies have linked emissions from diesel engines to higher rates of asthma, particularly in children, whose developing lungs are more sensitive to pollutants.

“From an environmental standpoint, these electric buses are cleaner in all ways – the carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions are lower, and they emit less particulate matter,” Stanton said. “So the local environment will have cleaner air.”

And that means safer, healthier transportation for students.

Further, as TVA works toward its aspiration of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the emissions of electric school buses and other EVs will continue to improve over time, Stanton said.  

In Mississippi, Chickasaw County School District acquired 11 electric buses in early 2024.

“We were able to replace buses that had no air conditioning with electric buses that have air conditioning,” said John Ellison, superintendent of Chickasaw County School District. “So they are much more comfortable than the buses we replaced.

“Also, since windows are now able to be shut during the route – and since the electric bus is so quiet – students experience a much quieter and relaxing atmosphere on the buses.”

Ellison estimates his school district saves $3,500 a month by using electric buses.

“These savings have allowed us to invest money into maintenance on our buses and provided funding for upgrades like security camera systems on our buses,” he said. “And it will assist in the future purchase of buses as we maintain our fleet.”

Best of all, he’s gotten great feedback from students and others.

"Drivers are able to hear better while driving,” Ellison said. “The experience for our students, drivers and mechanics has been very positive so far."

For school districts in underserved regions with challenging terrains, where fuel costs can be especially burdensome, the Clean School Bus funds offer significant relief.

“These buses are going to some of our most rural and underserved communities across the TVA region,” Stanton said. “Seeing electric school buses in the communities that can use that support the most has been a really positive outcome.”

With over 100 electric school buses now operating on Valley roadways, TVA’s EV Evolution research initiative is exploring additional benefits of electric school buses. For example, during the summer months, when school buses aren’t in use and grid loads are high, electric school buses can discharge their batteries to support the grid, known as Vehicle-to-Grid, or V2G. In the coming months, TVA plans to announce an exciting partnership to demonstrate this type of technology in the region.