CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Kanawha County Board of Education is the first school system in the state to agree to purchase a new electric-powered bus from GreenPower which is opening a production plant in South Charleston.
The board approved the $377,500 purchase of an 84-passenger bus on a 3-1 vote at its meeting Thursday night.
Longtime board member Jim Crawford voted against the plan. He said there remain a lot of questions about how electric-powered buses can get around on West Virginia’s hills. He also expressed concern about the price compared to a similar size diesel powered bus.
“Especially when you can buy the same bus for about $135,000. It is totally irresponsible if I vote for this. I can’t do it,” Crawford said.
The board also voted Thursday night to purchase a pair of diesel-power special needs school buses, a 77-passenger bus for $261,000 and a 53-passenger bus for $121,000.
Board member Ric Cavender said he felt the same way Crawford did about the electric bus heading into the meeting but after hearing from GreenPower Vice President for Business Development Mark Nestlen Thursday night he was convinced the county would actually save money over the 12-years that buses usually last.
Cavender said Kanawha County should lead the way. .
“We talk a lot in this system about innovation. We’re the largest system in the state and I’ve always viewed us as being trendsetters and taking some of those risks to show other counties that this can be done,” Cavender said.
Kanawha County BOE President Tracy White said she too was convinced the school system would eventually save money and provide students with a healthier environment.
“Obviously initially it is more. Over the length of 12 years however it will save us money. Is it green investment? I think that’s something we haven’t mentioned a lot. It is a green investment,” White said.
Cavender also said GreenPower chose Kanawha County for its new plant and the school board should show its appreciation for that choice.
“We as a system do have somewhat of a responsibility to help them champion this because they’ve made this enormous investment in Kanawha County and they’ve decided to put their facility in Kanawha County and it’s just my opinion that we have somewhat of a responsibility to partner with them,” Cavender said.
The battery that will power the bus has an eight-year warranty but Nestlen said Thursday the battery should easily last 10 to 12 years. Battery replacement currently costs $36,000.
GreenPower continues to do test runs in various counties. Most recently the testing has occurred in Ohio. Grant and Monongalia counties.
The ribbon was cut on the new plant last August. GreenPower initially announced 200 new jobs would be created when manufacturing gets up and running, with the potential workforce to eventually reach up to 900 new jobs when full production is reached in 24 months.
“The expansion here is to deal with our East Coast markets,” Nestlen said
Kanawha County School Superintendent Tom Williams said the money for the new bus would come from state school aid formula funds.
A federal grant program awarded nearly $2 million last year from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to the Boone, Wirt and Wyoming school districts to purchase electric buses. Those plans are being finalized.