Engaging with the utility that will provide electric service to your charger(s) is an essential step to ensuring that your electric school buses can be charged and used regularly. Find contact information for most Minnesota electric utilities, as well as a guide from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about how to start a conversation with a utility about your bus electrification, below.

Utility Contacts Spreadsheet

EPA Guide to Utility Conversations

Electric school buses may require extra planning to maximize efficiency and cost-savings. Explore the resources below to help you design/select routes that address these considerations effectively.  

• MN Pollution Control Agency (MPCA)’s Electric School Bus Pilot Project Report describes some learnings from Minnesota school districts that operate electric school buses across the state.
• U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Cold Weather Impacts on Electric School Buses (.pdf document) explains how cold weather can impact electric school buses and how bus operations can be optimized.
• EPA’s Electric School Bus Route Analysis Tool (.xlsx spreadsheet) can help determine the type of bus and charger that can best meet route requirements. 
• EPA’s Electric School Bus Charging Station Planning Form (.xlsx spreadsheet) can help with determining charger details and other information to communicate with your utility company effectively.

School districts and their partners that are interested in more sources of funding for electric school buses should look at the following:

MPCA’s Volkswagen Settlement Funds

Tidbit: “This portion of the Volkswagen settlement partially funds diesel school bus replacement in Greater Minnesota. The grant reduces diesel emissions from older diesel engines to improve air quality and public health by removing older diesel buses and replacing them with new, cleaner buses. Funded projects will reduce diesel emissions in Minnesota and replace a variety of school buses from around the state with buses of various fuel technologies.”

EPA’s Clean School Bus Grants and Rebates

Tidbit: “With funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the EPA Clean School Bus Program provides $5 billion over five years (FY 2022-2026) to replace existing school buses with zero-emission and clean school buses.” 

MN Commerce’s State Competitiveness Matching Funds Program

Tidbit: In 2023, the state legislature appropriated $100 million for the creation and funding of a State Competitiveness Fund (SCF) Matching Funds Program. This program will provide complimentary awards to assist eligible Minnesota entities seeking federal grant awards for energy projects under the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

If a school is interested in receiving free federal application technical assistance, MN Commerce’s State Competitiveness Fund for Local Grant Development Assistance lists 25 organizations across Minnesota that can provide grant-seeking support services to applicants to federal government programs. Learn more.

School districts and other tax-exempt organizations can now take advantage of tax credits with the elective pay mechanism (sometimes known as direct pay). All organizations interested in electric school buses should look into their eligibility for two specific tax credits created by the IRA: the 45W Qualified Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit and the 30C Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit. Currently these credits are still available for the 2025 tax year.

The 45W Qualified Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit can provide up to $40,000 per electric school bus purchased from qualified manufacturers. 

The 30C Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit can provide 5% to 30% of the cost of each charging port installation, up to $100,000, in eligible census tracts.

Learn more about the tax credits through these resources:

• IRS guidance on 45W and 30C tax credits
• WRI’s All About Electric School Bus Tax Credits page
• The Federal Electric School Bus Tax Credits 101 recorded webinar from WRI, with speakers from the US Department of Treasury and Williamsfield Schools
• Guidance from Lawyers for Good Governance about the status of the direct pay mechanism and clean energy tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act
• MN Commerce’s Elective/Direct Pay Toolkit to find other technical assistance resources.

Clean Bus Planning Awards

NREL provides school and transit bus fleets with free technical assistance to develop comprehensive and customized fleet electrification transition plans.

World Resources Institute’s Electric School Bus Initiative

WRI provides all sorts of implementation resources and tools for school districts and fleet operators. From Request for Proposal (RFP) templates, to explanations about available tax credits, and training standards for people interacting with electric school buses. They also offer webinars, trainings, and other events.