News

Joint statement from Pennsylvania Electric School Bus Coalition and Representative Brandon Markosek on school bus ride-alongs for HB1542 

HARRISBURG, PA – Pennsylvania legislators got to experience the future of clean energy firsthand today, courtesy of the Steelton-Highspire School District’s electric school bus fleet, recently acquired using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Clean School Bus Program funding.  

Advocates and legislators urged Pennsylvania House leaders to pass legislation to fund a statewide electric school bus grant program to expand access to these cleaner, cheaper, and healthier transportation alternatives. Legislation that would create a new electric school bus program, HB 1542, has already passed out of committee, but now faces the crucial step of being brought to the House floor for a vote. 

Governor's action echoes other moves to obstruct the General Assembly 

RICHMOND, VA — Today, Virginia’s Governor and the Office of the Attorney General announced an opinion that suggests that Virginia is not obligated to comply with the newest update to Advanced Clean Car Standards. This announcement runs counter to a statement by Attorney General Miyares in 2022 and is a willful misinterpretation of the legislation passed in 2021.  

The DRIVE Act paves the way for advancements in electric vehicle and grid integration, and bolsters Maryland’s energy resiliency 

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Distributed Renewable Integration and Vehicle Electrification (DRIVE) Act (H.B. 1256) was passed by the Maryland General Assembly last night and is now poised to modernize the state’s energy management and grid preparedness. Advanced Energy United, a national business association representing over 100 businesses including transmission developers, electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers, and charging infrastructure providers, gave written testimony in support of the legislation to the House Economic Matters Committee earlier this legislative session.  

“The DRIVE Act shows that Maryland is serious about getting its electric grid ready for an electrified future,” said Nick Bibby, Maryland State Lead for Advanced Energy United. “This legislation will help residents and businesses tap into the unique capabilities of clean energy resources and electric vehicles to lower energy costs and support the resiliency of the electric grid.” 

The newly passed law, HEA 1194, is predicted to save millions of taxpayer dollars by factoring lifetime operating costs into state vehicle purchases

INDIANAPOLIS – Governor Holcomb signed into law yesterday a bill requiring the Indiana Department of Administration to apply a Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis when purchasing new light-duty vehicles for their state fleet. TCO considers differences in the average cost of fueling and maintaining vehicles, allowing the state to generate significant savings over the lifespan of a vehicle compared to vehicle purchases based on sticker price alone.

Indiana joins states like Nevada and Virginia in applying this good governance measure, which a report last year from national business association Advanced Energy United found could save Indiana $62.4 million over 15 years.