NM needs School Bus Modernization Act
The School Bus Modernization Act, to be introduced in the coming legislative session by Rep. Debbie Sariñana, is a child and family-centered policy that will produce measurable and meaningful improvements in the well-being of New Mexico’s students.
Strong support is arising across New Mexico for this important legislation. The Legislature’s non-partisan Education Study Committee report on school transportation recommends: “Build a funding mechanism for electric school buses. State funds for electric school buses should be provided for districts that are ready to proceed with electric buses.”
The bill supports New Mexico school districts wishing to replace aging diesel buses with new electric buses instead of continuing to subject their students to diesel exhaust particles that seep into the interior of every diesel school bus, exacerbating asthma and (having) other harmful physical and cognitive health impacts.
New Mexico school buses are replaced with state funds every twelve years. The School Bus Modernization Act removes disincentives facing local district decision-makers while also gaining important financial and operational benefits at the same time. Fuel and maintenance cost savings are $4 thousand to $11 thousand dollars per year per bus. That is real money that can instead be used to pay for classroom improvements.
Every major U.S. bus manufacturer has assembly lines of hardworking Americans creating buses for local districts.
The bill will help districts convert most routes of 80-100 miles or less to Electric School Buses — ESBs; the vast majority of New Mexico’s school bus routes are that range or shorter. As battery technology improves and longer ranges become feasible, ESBs can serve all routes.
ESBs are idle 80% or more of their duty time. So, refueling in minutes or hours is not a defensible excuse for not converting to electric. The energy stored in ESB batteries can and has been used to back up the electric grid and to provide emergency power when needed.
A recent OpEd in the Journal was promoting propane as an alternative to diesel fuel used in the buses today. It incorrectly claimed the “footprint” for propane infrastructure is smaller than that needed for ESBs. Not true. A 1,000 gallon propane tank and associated valves occupy 130 square feet. Whereas 12 chargers will occupy 65 square feet. That is half the footprint of the propane option.
Propane and “natural gas” are by-products of natural gas production and crude oil refining, respectively. Switching to any of these other fuel sources is another excuse to continue our reliance on harmful fossil fuels, producing more
harmful pollution in the process. Propane contributes to greenhouse gases and global warming. Stand next to a propane fueled bus and feel the heat. Stand next to an e-bus and feel the cool. The emissions from propane are still harmful, no matter if they are less harmful than diesel.
The School Bus Modernization Act is supported by the New Mexico Health Professionals for Climate Action, the New Mexico Voices for Children and NMVC Action Fund. ESBs are already the choice of local New Mexico districts in gas and oil regions such as Dulce and Lake Arthur as well as Santa Fe and Las Cruces.
Another disadvantage of a propane-fueled bus is they are as noisy and loud as the diesel bus. Research shows students like electric buses the best. Drivers love ESBs because the students behave better in the totally quiet buses.
ESBs are the quietest with zero emissions. Why should we offer a half-baked option for our students, when electric buses can deliver the whole enchilada?