Bay Area Organizations Win National Awards for Electric Innovation

Quiz: What percent of Oakland Unified School District’s buses are electric?

Answer: All of them!

Yep! All 74 buses are fully electric as of the start of the school year this August. Oakland’s first-in-the-nation all-electric school bus fleet, made possible through the company Zum, means cleaner air for kids and communities. But that’s not all: during the school day when electricity is in demand but buses aren’t, the school buses can act as giant batteries, sending power back into the grid to keep costs down and maximize clean energy. 

When I was at Climate Week NYC in September, I was excited to see Oakland’s achievements recognized at the Electric Innovation Awards by leaders, including former Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and Chair of the California Energy Commission David Hochschild. Oakland’s leadership deserves to be recognized on this national stage.

Oakland Unified’s achievement is a powerful example of how local innovation can deliver real climate and public health benefits—while helping shape the future of our energy system.