DTE grants to give two Michigan school districts electric school buses

Students of the Ann Arbor and Roseville public school districts in Michigan will soon receive some of the state’s first zero-emission, electric school buses under a $1.5 million grant from DTE Energy.

“We look forward to deploying these electric buses in our district,” John Kment, superintendent of Roseville Community Schools, said. “Not only will they help us reduce our carbon footprint, but they will also serve as great educational opportunities for our students. Our educators will use them to lead discussions on how we can all take steps to integrate cleaner energy into our daily lives.”

DTE announced last week that its partnership with the two schools was selected by the State of Michigan. In all, the money will pay for six buses, along with the associated charging equipment. Ann Arbor Public Schools will receive four while Roseville Community Schools will receive two. Beyond the buses themselves, DTE will assist the schools in gaining all necessary electric infrastructure to support the buses. New educational programs will be designed around the buses, under schools’ Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs.

“We’re excited to help bring clean electric transportation to thousands of Michigan students,” Trevor Lauer, president and COO of DTE Electric, said. “This partnership and grant fits well with our commitment to advancing both STEM education and Michigan’s clean energy future.”

In return, DTE will get samples with which to study vehicle-to-grid efforts to better understand battery storage technology.