HI HCR142

Urges the Hawaii Department of Education and Board of Education to develop a plan for transitioning public school buses to electric buses and submit a report with recommendations and implementation plan to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the 2027 Regular Session.

Requests collaboration with school districts that have already transitioned to electric buses, specifically citing Oakland Unified School District's partnership with Zum to deploy 74 electric buses in 2024-2025, creating the first fully electrified fleet of a major U.S. school district.

Cites Oakland's results showing approximately 25,000 metric tons of annual greenhouse gas emission reductions and 2.1 gigawatt-hours of electricity returned to the grid yearly through vehicle-to-grid technology.

References Hawaii state law requirements including achieving net-negative carbon emissions by 2045 and eliminating dependence on imported fuels for ground transportation.

Notes additional benefits demonstrated in Oakland including longer bus lifespans (twice traditional buses), reduced fuel and maintenance costs, cleaner air for students, real-time tracking capabilities, and potential for emergency disaster response as mobile power sources.