UNION COUNTY, Tenn. — Union County Public Schools introduced its first electric school buses, the Knoxville Utilities Board said in a release on Tuesday. They are also the first electric school buses in KUB's 688-square-mile area.
With the help of KUB to install the charging technology and funding granted through the Environmental Protection Agency, KUB said this marked a milestone in the school's efforts to introduce innovative technologies to its students.
“We are always working to ensure Union County students have access to innovative technologies,” said Greg Clay, the Director of Schools at Union County Public Schools. “To see those efforts expand beyond the classroom and provide a new, more efficient mode of transportation for our children is truly rewarding.”
UCPS was one of the only ten Tennessee school systems that was awarded an "EPA Clean School Bus Rebate," with each bus holding 71 passengers and having a 135-mile range, said KUB.
The electric buses will be used at Paulette Elementary School in Maynardville, according to KUB. The buses are meant to be a cleaner mode of transportation for the students and to create better air quality within Union County.
“We are proud to remove barriers to electric vehicle adoption any time we can, and we are especially proud to support the first electric school buses serving our customers,” said Gabriel J. Bolas, the KUB President. “Supporting our area’s students and working toward a greener future are two efforts we take great pride in, so it’s great to see them come together in this way."
KUB provided more information on their website for the best ways to stay green in homes and communities.