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.
But Oakland’s buses aren’t the only local leaders I celebrated at the Electric Innovation Awards. Our local Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs) are also leading the country as national champions!
Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE) and Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) brought home awards for their leadership in local collaboration on clean energy and electrification. It’s exciting to see these CCAs get national recognition for their extraordinary work!
So what did they do to win?
PCE and SVCE worked with member agencies, who adopted 32 reach codes that facilitate electrification and the buildout of electric vehicle charging.
The reach codes promote all-electric construction and EV charging at multifamily properties. They also bring wide-ranging benefits for communities: according to PCE, “All-electric building codes are driving down construction costs, improving air quality, and transforming the market for electric technologies.” These codes have already resulted in permitting for thousands of all-electric homes, and charging access for over 5000 families in multifamily homes.
Local leadership can make a big difference, both at home and by inspiring action across the nation, and I’m excited to continue recognizing and supporting local leaders in clean energy and electrification like PCE, SVCE, and Oakland Unified School District.