Mountain Co-op Helps Schools Go Electric

This fall, West Grand School District plans to add an electric school bus to its fleet — a 78-passenger Bluebird All American with a 120-mile range, to be used on daily routes.

And the district, which serves the Kremmling area, is able to do this at no cost to the school. The bus is funded through a state grant and contributions from its local electric co-op and its power supplier.

The school district got word in December that it qualified for a $250,000 grant from Colorado’s Regional Air Quality Council and was one of 20 grants distributed. The remaining funds came from Mountain Parks Electric in Granby and from Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Mountain Parks’ power supplier.

The school district expects to receive its new bus — the first electric bus in Grand County and one of the first in Colorado — in August. The bus will be used on daily routes beginning in the 2020-2021 school year.