Rebate through the ComEd Beneficial Electrification Plan provides funding for one of the largest school bus electrification projects in northern Illinois

ComEd today presented a $930,000 electric vehicle (EV) rebate check to West Aurora School District 129, helping provide funding to electrify the district’s school bus fleet. The school district, together with its partners Highland Electric Fleets and Blue Bird, has added 27 EV school buses and 28 EV chargers to support student transportation. This investment makes the district one of the largest electric school bus fleets operating in ComEd’s northern Illinois service territory, and one of the largest recipients of an EV school bus rebate through ComEd’s Beneficial Electrification (BE) Plan.

“ComEd is proud to fund electrification projects like West Aurora School District 129’s and hundreds of others across the region, as our customers and communities take steps toward a lower carbon future,” said Gil Quiniones, President and CEO of ComEd. “EV rebates are helping reduce the upfront costs while also bringing us closer to achieving the state’s energy and climate goals.”

Since the launch of ComEd’s EV rebate programs in February of 2024, ComEd has awarded nearly $130 million in EV rebate funding in 354 northern Illinois zip codes—helping fund more than 8,700 EV charging ports and over 2,700 fleet electric vehicles. Eighty percent of the rebates paid have gone to low-income customers or organizations located in, or primarily serving, low-income and Equity Investment Eligible Communities (EIECs).

The new electric buses will reduce emissions in the community and provide a quieter, more comfortable experience for students, drivers and the surrounding community. West Aurora is committed to improving operational efficiency and environmental performance across its schools.

“West Aurora is proud to lead with actions that strengthen our schools and our community,” said Dr. Angie Smith, SD129 Associate Superintendent of Operations. “From energy efficiency to transportation, these investments reduce emissions, improve air quality and create a healthier environment for students, staff and families across our district.”

Funding for fleet EVs, including school buses, and related infrastructure is an essential step to reducing barriers to EV adoption. ComEd’s EV rebate programs are a requirement of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), a landmark climate law passed in Illinois aiming to put 1 million EVs on Illinois roads by 2030. Currently, there are over 150,000 EVs registered in Illinois, with nearly 90 percent operating in ComEd’s service territory, up from 19,000 registered EVs in northern Illinois in 2019.

“Reaching Illinois’ goals for a cleaner transportation future depends on advancing fleet electrification plans, including school bus fleets, to reduce tailpipe emissions throughout our state,” said Megha Lakhchaura, EV Officer for the state of Illinois. “West Aurora School District 129 is leading by example in their fleet electrification efforts, thanks to initiatives like the ComEd EV rebate and the Clean School Bus programs. The work of programs like this are making transportation electrification more accessible for all northern Illinois businesses and communities.”

Electrifying transportation—especially vehicle fleets—can create tangible benefits for all communities and families across northern Illinois, including health benefits in communities which have traditionally borne the brunt of climate change and air pollution. ComEd’s EV related rebates will continue into 2028, designed to support business and municipalities as they transition to electric fleets in Illinois. Projects located in, or primarily serving, low-income areas or EIECs will be eligible for higher rebate amounts and will continue to receive more than 50 percent of ComEd’s EV rebate budget.

“Reducing emissions from vehicles, especially heavy-duty vehicles like school buses, is one of the most effective steps we can take to improve air quality and public health in Illinois,” said Brian Urbaszewski, Director of Environmental Health Programs at Respiratory Health Association. “ComEd’s continued support of transportation electrification funding is allowing businesses, communities and school districts like West Aurora to achieve their electrification goals and help eliminate pollution and create cleaner air for all our communities.”

“The Environmental Law & Policy Center celebrates West Aurora School District 129’s launch of its new electric school bus fleet. This transition to zero-emission buses will bring healthier, quieter rides for students, their drivers and the neighborhoods these buses serve,” said Genevieve Kwan, Illinois Government Affairs Representative at the Environmental Law & Policy Center. “We’re thrilled to see this partnership come to life—leveraging federal and ComEd funding, and Highland Fleets’ expertise—to build what may now be the largest electric school bus fleet in northern Illinois. We’re also excited to see these buses support the grid when they’re not performing their critical job of safely transporting student, enabling the district to send power back to the grid and receive compensation for that service.”

"These kids and drivers will no longer breathe in tailpipe emissions. These buses will not release tailpipe emissions throughout the community. And the partnership between the school district, Highland Electric Fleets and ComEd ensures these buses will charge at times that are most beneficial to the local grid,” said Tim Farquer, founder and administrative lead of Bus2Grid. “In addition, when fully charged, these new buses hold more than 4 megawatts of stored energy. That's the equivalent of over 300 Tesla Powerwalls. That makes us equally excited to see this partnership unlock the potential for these school buses to export energy and reduce constraints on the local grid. This project reflects everything Bus2Grid stands for, and we couldn't be more happy for our friends at West Aurora, Highland Electric Fleets and ComEd for working together to pull this off. I can't wait to see more and more of these projects deployed around the state."

To help customers connect to the benefits of EVs, ComEd offers various resources including, the ComEd EV Toolkit, EV Ambassador Program, EV Readiness program, EV Load Capacity Map, Fleet Electrification Assessments, EV Service Provider Network, EV Dealership Network and more.

ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 200 company and one of the nation’s largest utility companies, serving more than 10.7 million electricity and natural gas customers. ComEd powers the lives of more than 4 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population. For more information, visit ComEd.com, and connect with the company on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and YouTube.

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