Can School Buses Go Electric?

The Electric School Bus Initiative is a bold plan to fully electrify the nation’s 480,000 school buses by 2030. The World Resources Institute, a global research organization, recently tapped Sue Gander ’89 to head this initiative, which is supported by the Bezos Earth Fund. “Electrifying the nation’s school bus fleet is an incredible opportunity to ensure our kids have a safe, clean, and healthy ride to school and to help boost jobs in the U.S.,” she says. The plan would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately eight megatons per year, reduce expenses for school districts, and create green manufacturing jobs. Gander, who concentrated in public policy at Brown, has strong credentials: she was previously managing director of policy for the Electrification Coalition; directed the Energy, Infrastructure, and Environment Division at the National Governors Association; and had stints at both the EPA and the Center for Clean Air Policy.