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ENGIE Impact, an ENGIE entity that delivers sustainability solutions and services to corporations, cities and governments across the globe, today announced the completion of a major milestone in its work with Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) in El Cajon, CA. GUHSD selected ENGIE Impact to perform two essential tasks, the first being to develop a detailed roadmap for the electrification of the GUHSD bus fleet and the second being to identify and support the school district with the application for grants that would help the school district cover the cost of fleet electrification.
GUHSD’s fleet electrification roadmap supported the development of a plan to fully transition the district’s 67 diesel-fueled school buses to a clean, affordable, and resilient electric fleet over the next 20 years. This shift to zero emission vehicles will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the communities GUHSD serves, improving overall air quality and eliminating students' exposure to harmful pollutants. The study determined the ideal charging behavior and the optimal mix of energy supply from the grid and onsite distributed generation to minimize total cost of ownership and maximize GHG emissions reduction.
In addition to fleet electrification, ENGIE Impact helped GUHSD secure funding by identifying and developing responses to federal and state grant solicitations that support fleet electrification efforts. Among those is a grant from the California Energy Commission to support the development of the fleet electrification roadmap.
“As a public school district with multiple competing priorities, GUHSD has limited resources to devote to fleet electrification,” said Lindsey Danner, Energy Manager at GUHSD. “ENGIE assisted GUHSD in securing 8 of our 17 new electric buses through a grant from the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District and additional funding to develop our comprehensive plan for fleet electrification. These accomplishments work toward our overall goal to support our community’s educational and environmental needs.”
Based on an initial ENGIE Impact analysis, the electrification of GUHSD’s school bus fleet will reduce total greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 86%. Looking ahead, ENGIE Impact and GUHSD will explore the expansion of school bus routes especially within disadvantaged communities, the integration of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities, as well as some workforce development opportunities and challenges for the district’s fleet.
Read more about GUHSD's electrification roadmap in the detailed technical report.
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ENGIE Impact partners with companies to accelerate decarbonization efforts worldwide. ENGIE Impact’s comprehensive engagement model goes beyond strategy to include data excellence and digital tools, project delivery expertise, and financing support. An authentic long-term partner, ENGIE Impact establishes credible paths to hit difficult carbon-reduction metrics while sharing commitments and accountability across portfolios. With 20 offices worldwide and headquarters in New York City, ENGIE Impact today has a portfolio of over 1,500 clients, including 25% of the Fortune 500 Companies. ENGIE Impact is part of the ENGIE Group, a global leader in the transition toward a carbon-neutral economy through reduced energy consumption and more environmentally friendly solutions.
Established in 1920, GUHSD serves approximately 21,400 students in grades 9-12 in the eastern portion of San Diego County, California. GUHSD consists of 13 high school campuses: Grossmont High School (La Mesa/El Cajon), Helix High School (La Mesa), El Cajon Valley High School (El Cajon), Mount Miguel High School (Spring Valley), El Capitan High School (Lakeside), Granite Hills High School (El Cajon), Monte Vista High School (Spring Valley), Santana High School (Santee), Chaparral High School (El Cajon), Valhalla High School (El Cajon), West Hills High School (Santee), Steele Canyon High School (Spring Valley), and IDEA Center High School (El Cajon). GUHSD also operates a middle college high school, three special education facilities, a Career Technical Education (CTE) program, and an adult education program. The student body is exceptionally diverse, and 62% of students are in communities identified as low-income. Transportation is offered to 6 of the 13 high schools, with special education transportation provided to all schools. Collectively, the student population of the schools served by GUHSD’s school bus fleet totals more than 13,800 youth.
