Herscher unveils new bus garage for electric buses

As the new bus garage for Herscher’s electric school buses was unveiled Monday, the theme of the event was how the rural school district is leading the way for renewable energy, not only locally, but regionally and beyond.

With 25 electric buses making up approximately half of the district’s fleet, as well as two solar projects in the works, Herscher Community Unit School District 2 is ahead of the curve of green initiatives across the state.

“As of right now, I do not believe there is another school district in the state of Illinois that is using 25 electric buses on a daily basis,” said Superintendent Rich Decman. “That is a pretty awesome accomplishment for a rural school district in Kankakee County.”

By the start of the 2024-25 school year, all 25 LionC buses from Lion Electric were delivered, and they are now covering 25 out of the district’s 34 regular daily routes. The vehicles can travel 125 miles off a single charge.

“Herscher’s electric fleet of 25 buses will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote green energy throughout Kankakee County,” said Carlee Hove, a student in Herscher High School’s Environmental Action Club. “Our district is quickly becoming the leader in the use of sustainable energy, not only in the state of Illinois, but in the entire Midwest.”

Half of the electric buses are housed in the newly constructed Herscher bus garage, and the other half are housed at the Limestone bus garage. Both locations now feature 16 charging stations each.

‘STATE-OF-THE-ART’ SETUP

Brian Robb, director of government relations for Lion Electric, said that Herscher’s use of electric buses will “set the bar for decades to come.”

“This is the largest deployment of electric school buses to date in the state of Illinois, and holds its own as one of the more impressive in the entire Midwest,” he said.

Robb noted the buses were manufactured about 45 minutes north of the area at Lion Electric’s Joliet plant, which helped to sustain local jobs.

The effort also serves as an example of what can be accomplished when schools and state and federal governments work together, he said.

“Our team at Lion has traveled all over the country for electric school bus deployments of all types,” Robb said. “And we can confirm, let us tell you, this is truly a state-of-the-art charging setup, and it will serve as an example to other school districts around the country for years to come.”

Herscher School Board President Sally Sullivan said the buses “show the power of collective action,” as they were the result of the school board’s vision, support from local government and partnerships with local industries.

“Our children deserve to breathe cleaner air, and today, we are taking a giant step in that direction,” Sullivan said. “Let this be a reminder of what we can be if we work together toward a sustainable future.”

LEADING THE WAY

The electric buses and charging stations were purchased using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus program.

The program is set to allocate a total of $5 billion over a five-year period to help school districts replace their used diesel buses with clean and zero-emission models.

“I’m thrilled that the largest effort in Illinois to replace old buses with new electric buses is happening right here in Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District, so I have bragging rights when I go back to D.C.,” said U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Matteson. “As you’ve heard, our children will breathe better because of these new electric buses.”

In 2022, Herscher was one of two school districts in Illinois and 21 nationwide selected to receive the highest grant amount of nearly $10 million for 25 electric buses and related charging infrastructure.

The other Illinois school district selected to receive the highest grant amount was Bloom Township District 206. However, the Chicago Heights school district has not yet received their electric buses, a school official confirmed.

Gregory Horak, director of transportation for District 206, said the district is still pursuing the use of 25 electric school buses, but the delivery of the vehicles has been postponed while the bus company it contracts with establishes sites for the charging infrastructure.

Unlike Herscher, which runs its transportation department in-house, District 206 does not own its buses.

Louie Binswanger, senior vice president of governmental, regulatory and external affairs at ComEd, said that Illinois recently surpassed the 100,000 mark for registered EVs in the state.

“This is the largest single EV school bus site in the state,” Binswanger said regarding the Herscher school district. “And thanks to the leadership by the district, school officials, the community and many key partners joining us here today, we know that many school districts will look to Herscher as a prime example of the possibilities of EV.”

RENEWABLE ENERGY JOURNEY

Decman said the unveiling of the new electric buses and charging stations was “just one step in our district’s renewable energy journey.”

The district is also working with solar company ForeFront Power to construct two solar arrays; one will be located west of the new Herscher bus garage, and the other will be northeast of the Limestone bus garage.

Construction on the solar projects could begin next month at the earliest. Depending on the weather, groundbreaking could take place in the spring of 2025. Substantial completion is expected by the summer of 2025.

“The goal is that these solar arrays will help offset the increase in cost in energy usage by our electric buses,” Decman noted.

Ana Diaz-Puskar, a representative of ForeFront Power, said the Herscher High School Bus Depot and Limestone Bus Depot will receive 1.4 MW of solar energy across both sites, which is expected to save the district $2.5 million in electricity costs over 20 years.

Herscher’s “solar portfolio” will generate about 2 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, or enough to power about 174 houses for a year, she said.

The solar energy will also help to eliminate approximately 1,336 tons of carbon emissions annually, which is equal to taking more than 318 gas-powered passenger cars off the road each year, Diaz-Puskar said.

“Having worked with public agencies across Illinois, I know firsthand that Herscher’s diverse energy and transportation initiatives are going to set new standards for energy savings, public health and environmental sustainability, which will inspire districts across the state,” she said.

The district is also working with ForeFront Power on a project to add battery storage to its sites.

According to ForeFront’s website, battery storage helps customers save money on their electricity bills by storing energy produced by solar systems for use when the sun isn’t shining. This reduces peak demand and peak demand charges.

“The next step in the renewable energy journey is to add battery storage to our sites for emergency purposes and to charge our buses if the need ever arises,” Decman said.

Herscher has been awarded over $1 million from the Renew America’s Schools grant to help pay for the battery storage project, he said.

The goal is to complete this project within the next 12 months.