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Matt Heavner
Nov 13, 2023, 9:58:31 PM11/13/23
to public....@laschools.net, charlott...@studentlaschools.net, Havemann, Suzie, Steve Tobin
Dear School Board members,
I am writing to encourage you to electrify the LAPS school bus fleet.
I was thrilled (electrified?) to see Charlotte Butcher's November 12
article in the Los Alamos Daily Post on behalf of the Los Alamos High
School EcoClub with a petition to electrify LAPS (
https://ladailypost.com/butcher-los-alamos-high-school-ecoclub/ ). I am
writing in support of that effort and to provide more information for
your consideration.
The same day as Ms. Butcher's article was published, the Santa Fe New
Mexican published an opinion piece from NM State Representative Debra
Sarinana (Bernalillo) "Modernize school buses for the health of
children" describing the "School Bus Modernization Act" that she is
sponsoring this year. This bill would designate state funding and
simplify systems to make it financially feasible for school districts to
retire diesel buses and replace them with electric buses.
(https://www.santafenewmexican.com/opinion/my_view/modernize-school-buses-for-the-health-of-children/article_8e5086c6-7f2d-11ee-9023-1fd942f39f64.html
November 12, 2023)
Earlier the same week, on November 8, in the print edition, the New York
Times published (on the front page) an article describing - in addition
to the health, economic, and climate benefits - the community resilience
benefits that electric school buses are providing (in Burlington,
Vermont in the case of the story). The article was titled "The Hero of
the Next Blackout: The School Bus" (
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/07/business/energy-environment/electric-school-buses-batteries-grid.html
)
The New York Times article features Highland Fleets and CEO Duncan
McIntyre. Highland Fleets is providing a business model to overcome
higher upfront costs of electric schools buses as well as address the
additional infrastructure related to charging, maintenance, training,
and scheduling. The Highland Fleets subscription model has been saving
school districts money immediately as well as de-risking the transition
to an electric fleet. In February 2023, the Volts podcast had an hour
long interview with CEO Duncan McIntyre, discussing a broad array of
questions related to electric school buses. (The Volts interview is at
https://www.volts.wtf/p/getting-electric-school-buses-in )
On a personal note, I was able to visit with the owner and operator of
an electric school bus in Tok, Alaska where it regularly gets colder
than -40F. I was quite impressed with the operation and greatly improved
(lack of!) air quality emissions associated with the operation of the
school bus.
I have been interested in the concept of electrification of school bus
fleets for some time and was motivated to write to the school board by
Charlotte Butcher's letter. I am asking the School Board to support the
student's petition and to move forward on electrifying the Los Alamos
school bus fleet. I would be happy to support any efforts the School
Board makes in this direction.
Thank you for your service to the students and community!
Matt Heavner
1026 Oro Ct
m...@heavner.email
I am writing to encourage you to electrify the LAPS school bus fleet.
I was thrilled (electrified?) to see Charlotte Butcher's November 12
article in the Los Alamos Daily Post on behalf of the Los Alamos High
School EcoClub with a petition to electrify LAPS (
https://ladailypost.com/butcher-los-alamos-high-school-ecoclub/ ). I am
writing in support of that effort and to provide more information for
your consideration.
The same day as Ms. Butcher's article was published, the Santa Fe New
Mexican published an opinion piece from NM State Representative Debra
Sarinana (Bernalillo) "Modernize school buses for the health of
children" describing the "School Bus Modernization Act" that she is
sponsoring this year. This bill would designate state funding and
simplify systems to make it financially feasible for school districts to
retire diesel buses and replace them with electric buses.
(https://www.santafenewmexican.com/opinion/my_view/modernize-school-buses-for-the-health-of-children/article_8e5086c6-7f2d-11ee-9023-1fd942f39f64.html
November 12, 2023)
Earlier the same week, on November 8, in the print edition, the New York
Times published (on the front page) an article describing - in addition
to the health, economic, and climate benefits - the community resilience
benefits that electric school buses are providing (in Burlington,
Vermont in the case of the story). The article was titled "The Hero of
the Next Blackout: The School Bus" (
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/07/business/energy-environment/electric-school-buses-batteries-grid.html
)
The New York Times article features Highland Fleets and CEO Duncan
McIntyre. Highland Fleets is providing a business model to overcome
higher upfront costs of electric schools buses as well as address the
additional infrastructure related to charging, maintenance, training,
and scheduling. The Highland Fleets subscription model has been saving
school districts money immediately as well as de-risking the transition
to an electric fleet. In February 2023, the Volts podcast had an hour
long interview with CEO Duncan McIntyre, discussing a broad array of
questions related to electric school buses. (The Volts interview is at
https://www.volts.wtf/p/getting-electric-school-buses-in )
On a personal note, I was able to visit with the owner and operator of
an electric school bus in Tok, Alaska where it regularly gets colder
than -40F. I was quite impressed with the operation and greatly improved
(lack of!) air quality emissions associated with the operation of the
school bus.
I have been interested in the concept of electrification of school bus
fleets for some time and was motivated to write to the school board by
Charlotte Butcher's letter. I am asking the School Board to support the
student's petition and to move forward on electrifying the Los Alamos
school bus fleet. I would be happy to support any efforts the School
Board makes in this direction.
Thank you for your service to the students and community!
Matt Heavner
1026 Oro Ct
m...@heavner.email
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