CAMPBELL, Calif., and CLEVELAND, Ohio, – ChargePoint (NYSE: CHPT), a leading provider of EV charging solutions, and intelligent power management company Eaton, today announced a collaboration to accelerate and simplify the deployment of EV charging infrastructure in the U.S., Canada and Europe. The companies will integrate EV charging and infrastructure solutions, co-developing new technologies to advance bidirectional power flow and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) capabilities—enabling EVs to act as a power source for homes, buildings and more.
Providing a one-stop shop for the EV charging ecosystem, the companies will deliver EV chargers, electrical infrastructure and engineering services as turnkey offerings enabling the electrification of transportation, from vehicles to chargers to the grid. ChargePoint and Eaton will streamline the purchase, design and deployment of EV charging projects, offering joint solutions that will help customers effectively manage site power requirements, optimize infrastructure and enhance reliability at a reduced cost.
“ChargePoint’s partnership with Eaton will deliver innovation that addresses the biggest barriers to electrified transportation,” said Rick Wilmer, CEO of ChargePoint. “Together with Eaton we will create unprecedented value for institutions that deploy EV charging, accelerating electrification, and decarbonizing the planet in parallel.”
With Eaton’s collaboration, ChargePoint now elevates its strategic position as an end-to-end enabler of the EV ecosystem, from grid to vehicle. As EV charging infrastructure matures, core components like chargers and infrastructure must integrate at scale to realize their fullest potential. ChargePoint’s work with Eaton and numerous automotive OEMs will enable the seamless integration chargers, infrastructure and EVs, managed with ease on the ChargePoint cloud software platform.
Paul Ryan, general manager, energy transition at Eaton, said: “Customers rely on Eaton to solve their toughest power management challenges. This game-changing partnership will help do just that for vehicle charging—bringing together trusted power distribution and EV charging solutions to simplify electrification at scale.”
Information regarding available EV charging and infrastructure solutions, which address every charging scenario, including fleet, workplace, commercial real estate, fueling and convenience, multifamily, residential and public transportation charging needs, is available on our website.
ChargePoint and the ChargePoint logo are trademarks of ChargePoint, Inc. in the United States and in jurisdictions throughout the world. All other trademarks, trade names, or service marks used or mentioned herein belong to their respective owners.
About ChargePoint Holdings, Inc.
ChargePoint is creating a new fueling network to move people and goods on electricity. Since 2007, ChargePoint has been committed to making it easy for businesses and drivers to go electric with one of the largest EV charging networks and a comprehensive portfolio of charging solutions. The ChargePoint cloud subscription platform and software-defined charging hardware are designed to include options for every charging scenario from home and multifamily to workplace, parking, hospitality, retail and transport fleets of all types. Today, one ChargePoint account provides access to hundreds of thousands of places to charge in North America and Europe. For more information, visit the ChargePoint pressroom, the ChargePoint Investor Relations site, or contact the ChargePoint North American press office, or Investor Relations.
About Eaton
Eaton is an intelligent power management company dedicated to protecting the environment and improving the quality of life for people everywhere. We make products for the data center, utility, industrial, commercial, machine building, residential, aerospace and mobility markets. We are guided by our commitment to do business right, to operate sustainably and to help our customers manage power ─ today and well into the future. By capitalizing on the global growth trends of electrification and digitalization, we’re helping to solve the world’s most urgent power management challenges and building a more sustainable society for people today and generations to come.
The death of Alfred Hale sparked a debate in the community on the lack of safety around downtown transit hubs.
The 18-year-old student of Dunbar High School in Dayton, Ohio was shot and killed in April while waiting for a transit bus to take him to school. For decades, many school districts across the U.S. have relied on public transportation to transport high school students. The practice has only increased especially after COVID-19 due to financial and staff shortages.
Ohio House Bill 96 introduces a budget plan that will allocate more funding to all public schools in FY 2026 and 2027.
“The bill increases overall state support for public schools by $81 million in FY26 and $145 million in FY27 over the executive proposal, for a total of $226 million,” a press release on the bill states. “Additionally, per-pupil funding was increased for every student across Ohio.”
Additionally, the bill would require school districts that provide or arrange for transportation of eligible students in the ninth through twelfth grades to ensure that students are assigned to routes that do not require more than one transfer. Mass transit systems located in one of Ohio’s eight most populous counties would need to ensure that transfers don’t occur at a central hub, like the one where Hale was shot.
HB96 passed the House April 9 and was introduced in the Senate.
Dayton Board of Education President Chrisondra Goodwine disagrees with the bill. She released a statement on the tragedy, stating that the ban on student transfers, “is a reactionary move that fails to address the underlying problems. It restricts student access to education and imposes further barriers on already vulnerable youth—without offering any alternative solutions.”
Goodwine added Hale’s death is not a school issue but a citywide crisis.
“The burden of safety cannot fall on schools alone,” she wrote. “Every sector— education, local government, law enforcement, transportation, and commerce—has a shared responsibility in ensuring that our city is not only livable but truly thriving for everyone.”
She noted recent statements from city elected officials that place blame for the systemic challenges on Dayton Public Schools.
“That narrative is not only misleading—it is harmful,” she stated. “It oversimplifies the issue and ignores the very real legal and financial constraints placed on public school districts across Ohio.”
Instead, Goodwine outlined limitations codified in state law that require transportation is provided not only to Dayton students but also to charter and private school students within district boundaries. Dayton Public Schools lacks the legal authority to prioritize only its students, she continued, as well as adequate staffing and funding to place every child on a yellow school bus.
“Because of these limitations, some students must use public transportation,” Goodwine states. “The Greater Dayton RTA is not an educational partner—it is a public transit system governed by federal rules that ensure equitable access to all. While we do engage where possible to improve safety, DPS has no control over how RTA routes passengers or determines transfer points. These decisions are made solely by RTA based on their operational model and obligations to the general public.”
A citywide commitment to youth by opening recreational facilities, expanding mentorship opportunities, and centering teen-focused investments.
She said if city leaders want to be solution-oriented, they can start by opening doors to recreational centers and buildings that are underutilized or vacant but otherwise available to the district or afterschool partners to serve as “safe, structured environments tailored to teenagers— especially in a city where youth have limited access to activities that are engaging, safe, and empowering.”
“Changing the trajectory for young people requires more than statements—it requires investment in their future,” she added. “At the same time, we call on the State of Ohio to change the laws that continue to create barriers to a better reality for our students. Allow public districts to serve their students first. Fund transportation adequately. And stop penalizing urban districts trying to meet modern-day challenges with outdated policies.”
She is also calling for adequate state funding to support driver recruitment, fleet expansion, and improved routing systems.
The Ohio Association for Pupil Transportation issued a formal statement in support of Dayton Public Schools, Goodwine and the broader transportation crisis in Ohio.
“If Ohio’s elected officials are serious about creating lasting change and protecting our children, they must stop blaming overburdened school districts and start providing the legal authority, funding, and infrastructure necessary to meet today’s realities,” OPTA states. “The Ohio Association for Pupil Transportation stands ready to work with lawmakers, school, leaders, and community partners to bring about these much-needed reforms.”
OPTA notes that Hale’s death in Dayon highlights the need for systemic change and multiagency collaboration to ensure student safety.
“It is unacceptable that a student’s route to school becomes a place of violence,” OPTA states. “And it is equally unacceptable to assign blame to school districts without acknowledging the legal and financial realities they face.”
OPTA notes that the law requiring public school districts to transport students not only to and from their assigned schools but also students attending charter and private school extends service up to 30 minutes outside those boundaries.
“This requirement, imposed without proportional funding or flexibility, has pushed many districts to the brink,” OPTA states.
As of last August, Ohio had 18,817 active school bus drivers, a decrease of nearly 7,000 from 2019, OAPT said. Meanwhile. The demand for transportation services continues to rise due to expanding private and charter school mandates, and lawmakers have failed to address any of the root causes..
“Dayton Public Schools is being asked to do more with less, navigating rigid laws and an acute driver shortage while trying to ensure safe passage for students to over 90 locations,” added OAPT. “These proposals are not only short-sighted, they exacerbate the problem by restricting access to education for some of our most vulnerable students.”
OPTA joined Dayton in calling for: Legislative reform that allows public school districts to prioritize transportation for their own students before allocating resources to nonpublic schools; adequate and equitable funding for public school transportation, including driver recruitment incentives, modernized fleets, and safety upgrades; a re-commitment to public education over expanding voucher systems that divert public funds to private interests, undermining Article VI, Section 2 of the Ohio Constitution; and, a clear focus on student safety, including reinstating the yellow school bus as the “gold standard” for student transportation and rejecting lower safety alternatives like vans and car services for daily transport.
CINCINNATI, Ohio – First Student, the leading provider of student transportation, today announced it was selected by Fort Worth Independent School District to provide a comprehensive suite of fleet maintenance services. Through its division, First Services, the company will manage maintenance for the district’s 240 buses, integrating its advanced HALO technology platform to improve efficiency, safety and reliability. The partnership reflects First Student’s leadership in fleet management, predictive maintenance, and route optimization, ensuring a smoother, more dependable ride for students.
First Student will offer Fort Worth ISD’s existing technicians the opportunity to join their team with competitive wages and benefits, or they can choose to remain district employees. Forth Worth ISD will now be supported by ASE-certified technicians, providing the highest standards of service and reliability. Through First Services, the district will gain a more efficient and cost-effective approach to fleet maintenance and management, with potential savings of up to 20%.
“We’re proud to partner with Fort Worth ISD to deliver comprehensive fleet maintenance and services that keep student transportation reliable, safe and efficient,” said Leslie Norgren, vice president of First Services. “This partnership reflects First Student’s commitment to helping districts operate more efficiently, reduce costs, and uphold the highest standards of safety and service excellence.”
Operating directly from Fort Worth ISD’s facilities, First Student will equip the district with its comprehensive HALO technology platform. Technicians will leverage tablets for real-time diagnostics and integrated fleet maintenance, ensuring efficient service tracking. Through predictive analytics, the system will minimize breakdowns, while enterprise-level inventory and asset management will enhance parts availability across the district’s fleet.
“Partnering with First Student to manage our fleet maintenance allows us to ensure safe, reliable transportation for our students, minimizing the risk of bus breakdowns and ensuring they arrive at school on time,” said Kellie Spencer, Deputy Superintendent at Fort Worth ISD. “Reliable transportation is essential to student success, and this partnership enables us to provide high-quality service while focusing on our core mission, education.”
Through customized transportation assessments, First Services collaborates with school districts to identify challenges, align with their goals, and improve operational efficiency. By evaluating current transportation systems and providing recommendations, First Services helps districts optimize performance and achieve long-term success. Its comprehensive offerings include:
Fleet Management: Fleet as a Service (FaaS) enables districts to create a program that meets their transportation needs and lower costs. First Services supports bus procurement, vehicle maintenance, technician training, and best practices.
Fleet Maintenance: Maintenance as a service (MaaS) offers best-in-class, full service maintenance as a stand-alone contract, to ensure well-maintained vehicles without worrying about parts, technician staffing or varying maintenance costs.
Fleet Electrification: First Student is the largest operator of electric school buses in North America with more than 5 million electric miles driven. As more districts look to electrify fleets, First Service’s experts assist with grant applications, infrastructure design, hardware and software selection, charger and bus selections, site assessments, utility outreach and construction, and deployment.
School Bus Routing: First Services offers a standalone routing efficiency analysis, reviewing routes, school schedules, and bus utilization. With experience managing more than 44,000 vehicles a year, First Student helps districts improve on-time performance and reduce costs.
Transportation Management: First Services brings extensive experience in evaluating key metrics, maintaining high safety standards, and delivering consistent analytics and reporting to stakeholders.
About First Student:
As the leading provider of K-12 transportation solutions, First Student ensures the safest and most reliable ride to school each day for 5.5 million students in communities across North America. With a team of highly trained drivers, the company is on track to complete 1 billion student trips during the 2024-25 school year. Recognized as one of Fast Company’s 2025 Most Innovative Companies, First Student delivers a wide range of essential services, including home-to-school transportation, special needs transportation, fleet electrification, route optimization, maintenance, and charter services. The company’s focus goes beyond logistics by creating a positive, welcoming environment for students on each of its 45,000 buses. By continuously enhancing the transportation experience for students and families, First Student helps to ensure every child arrives to school ready to achieve their full potential.
CINCINNATI, Ohio – First Student, the leader in school transportation and electrification, today announced the deployment of 14 electric school buses in partnership with Tacoma Public Schools. This new deployment builds on a strong relationship between Tacoma’s Student Transportation Services and First Student, who currently provide around 5,000 students with daily school bus transportation.
The electric school buses will complement the school district’s existing fleet and uphold First Student’s key values of innovation and sustainability, representing a step toward a cleaner future for students who rely on school transportation every day. This initiative reinforces Tacoma Public Schools and First Student’s shared commitment to safe, reliable and forward-thinking transportation solutions.
Thanks to funding through the Washington State Department of Ecology for three buses and the US EPA Clean School Bus Program round two for 11 buses, the electric buses will offer a large benefit to students by providing a cleaner, quieter and safer ride while reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality. Electric buses require less maintenance and cut fuel costs, allowing Tacoma Public Schools to reinvest those savings into educational initiatives, classroom resources, and student enrichment programs.
“Our ongoing partnership with Tacoma Public Schools reflects our commitment to building a cleaner, healthier future for the communities we serve,” said Kevin Matthews, Head of Electrification at First Student. “As the industry leader with the most electric buses deployed in North America, we are proud to drive over five million students daily and have already logged nearly six million electric miles. At First Student, one of our core values is to care for students. Electric buses help us meet that goal by providing a smoother, quieter ride that helps students start their day focused and ready to learn.”
“Tacoma Public Schools is committed to making environmentally responsible decisions that benefit both our students and the community,” said Josh Garcia, superintendent of Tacoma Public Schools. “Partnering with First Student allows us to enhance our transportation services while reducing our carbon footprint, creating a more sustainable, safe and efficient future for our students and the environment. This initiative aligns with our strategic goals by improving health and safety through cleaner air, enhancing operational efficiency with modernized transportation, and strengthening partnerships that support student success. Investing in sustainable solutions ensures a safe learning environment that promotes academic achievement and well-being for all students.”
At a joint celebratory event held today, officials including Tacoma Public School Board Member Elizabeth Bonbright, Director of Transportation Zachary Midles, Clean Air Agency CEO Chrissy Cooley, Tacoma Public Utilities Board Chair John O’Loughlin, and two students from the Science and Math Institute, along with representatives from Pierce County Planning and Public Works, Pierce Transit, Tacoma Education Dream Fund, and the Washington State Department of Ecology and Air Quality Program touted the long-term, measurable benefits of electric school buses on our youth and gave community members the chance to ride in an electric school bus and feel the difference for themselves.
About First Student:
As North America’s leading school transportation solutions provider, First Student strives to provide unmatched care and the safest ride to school to 5.5 million students daily. With a team of highly trained drivers, the company will complete 1 billion student trips during the 2024-25 school year. First Student delivers reliable, quality services, including full-service transportation and management, special-needs transportation, fleet electrification, route optimization, scheduling, maintenance, and charter services. Its fleet includes about 45,000 buses.
CINCINNATI, Ohio – First Student, the leader in student transportation and electrification, today announced the deployment of 16 electric school buses in partnership with Pittsburgh Public Schools. This deployment, made possible through funding from the first round of the US EPA Clean School Bus Program, marks an important milestone in the shared commitment to provide safe, reliable and innovative transportation solutions for students. By embracing innovation and investing in the future, First Student and Pittsburgh Public Schools are setting a new standard for student transportation, one that prioritizes progress, sustainability and the well-being of every student served.
The Pittsburgh Public School District is the largest in Allegheny County and second largest in Pennsylvania, serving nearly 20,000 students daily. Starting immediately, the district’s new electric school buses are delivering a cleaner, quieter and safer ride while protecting student health and improving their daily transportation experience. With their quiet operation, electric school buses also reduce noise pollution, creating a calmer and more focused start to the school day.
“Partnering with Pittsburgh Public Schools to deploy these electric school buses is a big step forward in reducing emissions and prioritizing student health and safety,” said John Kenning, CEO and President of First Student. “With nearly 450 electric school buses in our fleet and nearly six million electric miles driven, we are not just transporting students to school; we’re setting the highest standard by helping build a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future for the Pittsburgh community. Every child deserves a safe, welcoming and trusted environment on their way to and from school, and that starts with us.”
In addition to improving student health, electric school buses are also a smart financial investment for school districts. With fewer moving parts than diesel buses, they require less maintenance and fewer repairs, saving districts money in the long term. By cutting fuel and maintenance costs, Pittsburgh Public Schools can redirect savings toward what matters most: educational programs, classroom resources and student enrichment.
“Every day, thousands of students in the City of Pittsburgh rely on school buses to get to and from school,” said Dr. Wayne N. Walters, superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools. “The addition of electric buses, allow us to take an important step toward a cleaner, quieter and safer ride, protecting student health and enhancing their daily experience.”
Today’s celebration also featured a ride-along in an electric school bus provided by First Student. Attendees at the event included Pittsburgh Deputy Mayor Jake Pawlak, Pittsburgh School Board President Gene Walker, Representative Summer Lee (PA-12), DaVonn Brown, Community Engagement Coordinator and Constituent Services Manager from the Office of District 8, as well as representatives from Moms Clean Air Force and Duquesne Light Company.
About First Student:
As North America’s leading school transportation solutions provider, First Student provides unmatched care and the safest ride to school to 5.5 million students daily. With a team of highly trained drivers, the company will complete 1 billion student trips during the 2024-25 school year. First Student delivers reliable, quality services, including full-service transportation and management, special-needs transportation, fleet electrification, route optimization, scheduling, maintenance, and charter services. Its fleet includes about 45,000 buses.
A 7-year-old student was left on his school bus earlier after falling asleep, reported Fox 8.
The incident reportedly occurred March 3, when Michael Windle received a call from Coventry Local School District, informing him that his son had been left on a school bus. The child had fallen asleep and did not exit the vehicle with the other students.
Windle claimed the bus driver left and was unaware that his son was still on the bus. No one found the child immediately and he was left on the bus for about an hour unattended in 25-degree weather. Once the boy was located, he was reportedly taken to school. Windle said he was mad and angry, as any father would be.
The district said via the news report that it was grateful the student was safe and upon learning of the situation, district officials launched an investigation to determine how this occurred. The school bus driver has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Additionally, the district reportedly confirmed they have “clear procedures” in place requiring drivers to conduct “post-route checks” to ensure all students have exited the bus. They are now reviewing those safety protocols with all transportation staff to prevent a future incident similar to this one.
Windle told local news reporters the district seemed sincerely upset over the incident. The district stated they are in direct communication with the family and will provide any necessary support.
A crash involving a school bus and a pickup truck left one dead following a medical emergency, reported Fox 8.
The incident occurred Feb. 24. According to the article, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office deputies discovered a pickup truck with a sole occupant and a school bus with a driver and 32 students on board. Only one student reported an ankle injury, but they were checked out and released on scene.
Investigation into the crash reportedly revealed that the bus had stopped to let students off, with a 2023 Chevy Silverado stopping behind. Witnesses on scene say the bus turned off the flashing red lights and started driving. However, the truck accelerated and ran into the rear of the bus.
The article states the truck was driven by 62-year-old Eric Brandewie. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officers stated via the article that the family of Brandewie shared he had called his wife just minutes before the incident, reporting chest pains and profuse sweating. He was on his way to his daughter’s house so they could go to the hospital together.
Authorities said they believe the cause of the crash is the result of a medical emergency, but the investigation is ongoing until an autopsy is completed.
The quick actions of an Ohio school bus driver kept all students safe after a school bus was engulfed in flames.
The Cleveland Heights Fire Department released a statement reporting that a fire broke out on a Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District bus early Thursday, as it was on its way to drop students off at Monticello Middle School.
The school bus driver is being hailed as a hero after acting quickly and evacuating all the students to safely. Students were picked up by another school district vehicle and transported to school. The fire was contained by firefighters.
The district’s superintendent, Liz Kirby, released a statement confirming that bus 21 involved in the incident was transporting 15 students at the time of the fire. However, there were no injuries reported. The school bus driver asked not to be identified, and the district is respecting that request.
Although the bus passed its annual mandate state inspection on Feb. 14, the district’s mechanic teams are re-inspecting all school buses in their fleet out of an abundance of caution.
The exact cause of the fire remains unclear. However, the incident is being investigated by the Cleveland Heights Fire Department and the Ohio State Highway Patrol in partnership with the district.
The family of a 6-year-old student who was left inside a Reynoldsburg City Schools bus for hours filed a lawsuit claiming the school district failed to investigate the incident appropriately, reported The Columbus Dispatch.
The incident took place last year, when the nonverbal boy was left unattended and secured in a child safety restraint system on a school bus seat for hours.
According to the news report, the lawsuit was filed on Wednesday, and it alleges that the district violated the child’s right to an education by putting him in danger, as well as treating his family differently because they are non-native English speakers from Nepal.
The parents of the child reportedly filed the lawsuit as John and Jane Doe to protect their child’s identity.
The lawsuit reportedly claims the boy’s mother put the then 6-year-old boy on his regular school bus on Feb. 16, 2023, to attend afternoon preschool classes. The boy was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and received special education services through Reynoldsburg City Schools.
Because of his specific needs, the boy would reportedly be secured in a harness on the school bus.
The lawsuit claims the boy did not return home from preschool that day at the regular time. The father tried calling both the school district and the bus garage but no one answered. He proceeded to the preschool but was told there were no children left in the building. That’s when the parents called the police and reported their son missing.
Court records reportedly indicate police found the child on a school bus at the district’s bus garage. The bus had reportedly brought the boy to his street but dropped him at a neighbor’s home. The preschool had marked the boy as absent from school on that day. However, the boy’s parents do not know where the boy was for the approximately five hours he was unaccounted for and believe he may have been left on the school bus harnessed inside his seat. The exact events of that day remain unclear.
According to the lawsuit, the boy’s parents met with district officials and requested through an interpreter to view the video from the school bus. The lawsuit alleges that the request was passed around the school district for about three weeks, at which time the video had been recorded over and was no longer available.
Administrators reportedly told the boy’s parents via an interpreter that the district had conducted and completed a full investigation, yet no documentation was provided to the parents. The district also allegedly told the interpreter, to stop communicating with the parents. The district told local news reporters through a spokesperson that it is unable to comment on pending litigation.
OTTAWA, Ohio, – Endera, a rapidly growing technology and manufacturing leader in the electric bus market, announced today that it has secured $49 million in its latest funding round. The round includes a $36M equity investment led by Magnetar, a global multi-strategy alternative asset manager, with participation from Pulse Fund–whose founder, Tenzin Seldon, has joined Endera’s board of directors—and Endera’s longtime strategic partner, Pritchard Auto Company. The total also includes a $13M credit facility. This funding will enable Endera to scale manufacturing of its electric shuttle and school buses, expand its product line and create new American jobs at its world-class production facility in Ohio.
As the only vertically integrated American OEM of class 4 electric shuttles and school buses, Endera has built a reputation for delivering high-quality vehicles coupled with complete technology solutions. By leveraging its successful legacy internal combustion engine (ICE) manufacturing business, the company has transitioned into one of the fastest-growing leaders in the EV space, providing complete systems that address the growing demand for zero-emission specialty vehicles, particularly for the underserved government sector.
“This investment will accelerate our mission to revolutionize the specialty vehicle industry and accelerate the transition to clean mobility,” said Endera CEO and founder John Walsh. “At a time when America needs to prioritize domestic manufacturing and sustainability, Endera is leading by example creating jobs, driving economic growth and providing cost-effective solutions all while advancing American ingenuity.”
Endera offers fully customizable ICE and EV shuttles and school buses to achieve best-in-class reliability, safety, and quality, along with a proprietary powertrain that achieves the longest range and fastest charge time available. Endera has coupled this with an in-house fleet management software that features real time insights tailored to the transit sector, which includes a rider app and streamlined service response in one integrated platform. To date, the company has delivered the largest deployment of electric shuttles at a US airport and has been selected as a low-bid vendor for the CalAct contract, the largest state EV bus contract in US history.
“We see both commercial and climate value in Endera’s vertically integrated approach because it enables them to respond to customer needs with speed and precision,” said Tenzin Selden, Founder & Managing Partner of Pulse Fund. “By offering a holistic solution, they’re not just filling in gaps in the commercial EV market but solving challenges at every level. We’re excited to support their next phase of growth and contribute to the broader push for nationwide electrification.”
Endera, founded in California in 2019, made the strategic decision to manufacture in Ohio at its 250,000 square foot production facility, a former Philips plant, tapping into a skilled workforce and helping to revitalize the Rust Belt by creating sustainable, clean-energy jobs. The company has increased its production output 20-fold since acquiring the former Winnebago Metro Titan group in 2021.
About Endera:
Endera is a pioneering specialty vehicle company specializing in high-quality shuttle and specialty needs school buses, distinguishing itself as America’s only vertically integrated EV OEM. Endera is a technology company specializing in smart electric specialty buses, charging stations, and software solutions. As an end-to-end specialty vehicle maker, Endera provides vehicle design, manufacturing, and technology. Made in America, Endera delivers one of the lowest total costs of ownership over other commercial electric vehicles and provides sustainable solutions that rival its fossil fuel counterparts in price, technology, longevity, profitability, and service. For more information, visit: www.enderamotors.com.
About Pulse Fund:
Pulse Fund is a venture capital fund investing in high-growth climate companies. The team brings together a unique blend of investment and climate science expertise to identify long-term opportunities that drive capital, innovation, and tangible climate progress.
A school bus driver in Jackson Township in Ohio is being hailed as a hero after risking his own life to save others including a dog during a house fire, reported The Washington Post.
According to the news report, 54-year-old Todd Morris, a retired police officer and current school bus driver, was heading home from a doctor’s appointment on Jan. 22, when he saw smoke rising into the sky from a house.
Temperatures that day were subzero, which closed school. Morris was in his personal vehicle when he came upon the fire.
Morris told local news reporters that as soon as he turned a corner, he saw the house of two of the children on his normal elementary school bus route on fire. He stated he knew that the students were off that day as well and probably home.
Morris stopped his car, got out and sprinted toward the house as he dialed 911. He told local news reporters that he started knocking on the door and yelling out the kids’ names.
Because there was no response, Morris said he relied on his police training and kicked in the locked door, forcing an entry into the residence. The smoke was getting heavy, but after a few minutes into his search, he found two terrified dogs.
The dogs taken outside of the home safely and Morris went back in to clear the residence. By the time the kitchen ceiling began to collapse, and the second floor was fully engulfed, Morris evacuated and the fire department showed up to put out the flames.
According to the article, residents Matt Fisher and his wife were at work when the fire broke out. Their four children were with their grandmother, who was taking care of them while school wasn’t in session.
Fisher told local news reporters that once he learned about the fire, he panicked because he knew the dogs were there. The family also had a cat, which did not survive the fire. Still, Fisher said he is grateful to Morris for saving his dogs and alerting authorities of the fire, which remained under investigation at this report.
A year after the Ohio School Bus Working Group issued its final recommendations on school bus safety, a bill introduced in the state House seeks to increase fines of illegally passing motorists and to create a safety fund that would award school districts grants for updating their fleets with safety features.
Two recommendations are specifically addressed in the new bill. The first is, “The Ohio Department of Public Safety should work with the Ohio General Assembly to strengthen penalties for drivers who violate traffic laws in school zones and around school buses.”
The Ohio School Bus Safety Act (HB3), introduced on Jan. 23, would increase the penalties for drivers passing a stopped school bus. The bill states that anyone found guilty of passing a stopped school bus would be issued an unclassified misdemeanor and could receive a fine of no less than $250 and no more than $1,000. Repeat offenders will face greater fines and would need to attend a school bus safety course.
The second recommendation addressed is, “The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce should work with the Ohio General Assembly to develop and fund a grant program to help school districts invest in school bus safety features such as, but not limited to, seatbelts. The grant program should be needs-based.”
School Bus Safety Features Included in the Ohio School Bus Safety Act:
– External school bus cameras
– Crossing arms
– Lane departure warning systems
– Electronic stability control
– Lighted crossover mirrors
– Colorado rack test-approved bus frames
– Fully illuminated stop arms located at the front and rear of a school bus
– Fully illuminated “school bus” signs
– Collision avoidance systems
– All light-emitting diode lights
– Ground wash lights
– Reflective chevron
– Occupant restraining devices that conform to the school bus seat belt requirements
– Additional safety features that become available through advancements in technology and that are approved by the department of public safety and the department of education and workforce.
The school bus safety fund would consist of “money appropriated to it by the general assembly and the criminal fines collected for violations,” the bill states, adding that the fund would be used to make grants available to school districts to improve safety features on school buses, as well as to be used to support the department of education and workforce and the department of public safety in educating the public regarding the laws around school buses.
The bill adds that grants would be awarded to eligible applicants for the purchase and installation of school bus safety features. School districts would be able to purchase and install school bus safety features to replace old, broken or outdated safety futures, and to purchase additional school bus safety options when specifying new school bus orders.
The legislation adds that the director of education and workforce at the Ohio Department of Education would be tasked with establishing procedures and requirements necessary to administer the grant, including procedures and requirements regarding the grant applicants and grant award processes and amounts. Grant awardees would need to spend the funds within two years after they were distributed.
On the night of Jan. 2, there was an explosion on a well pad in eastern Ohio’s Guernsey County. In shaky Facebook videos, the volunteer fire department chief warned off “looky-loos,” as a burning tank fed dark, billowing clouds of smoke off in the distance.
The accident happened at the Groh well pad which is operated by Gulfport Engergy. No one was injured in the blast and first responders determined the safest course of action was to let the fire burn itself out. Guernsey County Emergency Management Agency issued an evacuation notice within half a mile of the well pad. The agency lifted its advisory about 14 hours later.
In a statement, Ohio Department of Natural Resources spokeswoman Karina Cheung said the agency is still investigating the cause of the fire and assessing damage.
“Preliminary findings indicate that one containment tank was affected,” she said. “All produced fluids have been safely removed. There was no release of fluids into the environment and the well pad remains shut down and inactive.”
“There were no reported injuries, no reported impacts to wildlife, and no reported impacts to water,” she added.
Context and track record
But to some, the incident highlights concerns they’ve been raising for years about oil and gas drilling — particularly as exploration expands to state lands.
The Groh well pad sits about five miles from Salt Fork State Park. While the site doesn’t draw from within the park, the accident is a reminder that Salt Fork was recently opened to oil and gas exploration thanks to a 2022 law signed by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.
Those leases don’t allow well pads within the boundaries of state land, but opponents argue more exploration means more accidents. And with drilling infrastructure creeping closer, they contend, it’s a matter of time before those accidents affect public land.
“These are accidents that have great potential to cause people serious breathing and respiratory illnesses from air emissions alone,” Melinda Zemper from the organization Save Ohio Parks said.
Although she’s quick to note the difference in scale, Zemper compared the accident to the 2023 train derailment in East Palestine.
“Sometimes when you have explosions,” she added, “you don’t know what chemicals are going to be released into the soil and the water nearby the well pad.”
The group has organized opposition to drilling leases on public land since state officials began awarding them through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Oil and Gas Land Management Commission.
Gulfport Energy has been awarded seven of those leases in Belmont and Monroe Counties.
Save Ohio Parks argues the recent Groh well pad fire isn’t an isolated incident.
In 2020, Gulfport agreed to a $3.7 million settlement with the U.S. EPA over its operations in Ohio. The company faced $1.7 million in penalties and was directed to invest $2 million in upgrades to reduce emissions at its facilities. The company has also had several accidents in Ohio, primarily related to spilling brine or other drilling fluid. In 2013, state officials fined the company a quarter million dollars over leaks at seven well pads in Belmont and Harrison Counties.
Ohio Capital Journal reached out to Gulfport Energy but got no response.
Accidents and reporting
Taking a step back, the organization FracTracker argued the Groh well pad explosion is a symptom of a broader problem. In an analysis of incident records from 2015 to 2023, Gwen Klenke found at least 1,900 well-related incidents reported in Ohio.
“I think the larger context is just that this industry is prone to accidents,” she said, “and that there will be accidents as we start to frack and extract on state lands — not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.”
The bulk of incidents Klenke documented have to do with release or discharge — of gas, brine or other chemicals involved in drilling. Nearly 160 of those incidents are classified as explosions or fires, but only two reference injury or property damage. Under ODNR designations, only three incidents are classified as major or severe since 2018.
Ohio Oil and Gas Association President Rob Rob Brundrett points to the lack of major incidents as “a testament to the industry’s rigorous safety standards and practices.”
“Considering that only .004 percent of ALL Ohio oil and gas operations have had a major reportable incident during that timeframe, I have, and will continue to, put our industry’s safety numbers against any other labor-intensive industry in Ohio,” he added.
But Klenke argues that low number of major incidents points to shortcomings in reporting and classification rather than a strong safety record. Kathiann Kowalski from the Energy News Network highlighted ODNR’s classification system in a 2023 report as well.
The agency relies on a matrix to determine the severity of an incident, but its criteria are subjective and complex. Does the burned-out tank at the Groh well pad constitute “moderate” or “major” on-site equipment damage? If the fire burned for at least 14 hours, does that push it into the category of a major incident (12-24 hours to control impact) or does the apparent lack of off-site spillage ratchet it down to a minor incident?
In her report, Klenke points to two other incidents involving explosions at homes that involved injuries. Because the reporting system allows just one category, they were listed as “explosion/fire,” but they could’ve also been listed as “injury” or “property damage” among other designations.
Klenke explained neither incident was listed as “major” or “severe” under ODNR’s designations.
“They were calling those moderate or minor explosions,” she said, “when those should really be considered major if they’re damaging property, they’re damaging folks’ health.”
Ohio Capital Journal is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Ohio Capital Journal maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor David Dewitt for questions: info@ohiocapitaljournal.com.
Ohio environmental advocates are questioning the intent of a pending state law that would add nuclear power to the state’s legal definition of “green” energy.
House Bill 308’s sponsors say the legislation is meant to signal that Ohio is open for business when it comes to nuclear power research and development, but critics warn the language could have broader implications in the future.
“Legislators don’t just put something into the code unless it has meaning and purpose and value,” said Megan Hunter, an attorney with Earthjustice, one of several environmental groups challenging a similar 2022 state law that classified natural gas as a “green” energy source. “Why would you do this if it has no impact or meaning or effect?”
Critics fear the language could be used to greenwash power plants or divert public funding from renewable energy projects, though the bill’s sponsors deny that motive.
“It doesn’t promise any incentives or anything beyond simply placing nuclear under the category of green energy in the Ohio Revised Code,” said state Rep. Sean Brennan, a Democrat from Parma who co-sponsored the nuclear legislation with Republican state Rep. Dick Stein of Norwalk.
The General Assembly passed the nuclear legislation on Dec. 11. As of Thursday it was awaiting Gov. Mike DeWine’s signature.
Brennan said the question of why the language should be in a law instead of just a resolution didn’t come up in discussions with Stein, who initially asked him to cosponsor the bill.
Stein said the legislation is “about sending a signal to the market that Ohio wants to be a partner and won’t be an impediment,” in contrast to other states that don’t want nuclear energy. He said he hopes it will help attract jobs and federal funding, building on last year’s creation of a state nuclear development authority.
Stein would not speculate on follow-up steps lawmakers might take, saying his term in the House of Representatives ends this month.
What the law could do
Ohio does not currently have state incentives or policy preferences for “green” energy. The state’s renewable energy standard essentially ended in 2019 as a result of House Bill 6, the coal and nuclear bailout law at the heart of the state’s ongoing corruption scandal. Opponents testifying against the current legislation, though, said they worry the definition will be used to water down future clean energy policies.
“HB 308 will enable the manipulation of public funds into private, corporate hands,” said Pat Marida, a coordinator for the Ohio Nuclear-Free Network, in her December 13 testimony. Also, she said, “there is nothing ‘green’ about nuclear power,” referring to radioactive waste, which continues to be stored at power plant sites.
Future state programs might offer funding or other advantages for projects that meet the state’s definition of “green” energy, for example. And even if the definition doesn’t open doors to new government funding, it could provide cover to private companies that want to count gas and nuclear energy toward their climate or clean energy targets, another advocate warned.
“Insidiously, it does potentially become important,” said Nathan Alley, conservation manager for the Sierra Club of Ohio. Many companies have adopted clean energy goals, he noted. “This might telegraph to them that they could invest in nuclear energy and achieve the same climate and/or energy goals as if they invest in solar or wind.”
Ohio lawmakers aren’t the only ones who want to define natural gas and nuclear power as “green energy.” Model legislation finalized by the American Legislative Exchange Council this fall does the same thing. ALEC is a Koch-linked group that has long opposed renewable energy and actions to address climate change.
ALEC’s model bill would have its definition “apply to all programs in the state that fund any ‘green energy’ or ‘clean energy’ initiatives.” Another model ALEC bill would define nuclear energy as “clean energy” and put it on a par with renewable energy.
A coalition of environmental groups is currently challenging House Bill 507, Ohio’s 2022 law that labeled natural gas as “green energy,” arguing in court that the way in which it was passed violated the state constitution. The groups say last-minute amendments violated provisions that require bills to deal with a single subject – the initial two-page bill dealt with chickens – and call for at least three hearings in each house of the General Assembly where lawmakers can hear testimony from supporters and opponents.
That lawsuit has been briefed and is currently awaiting a decision from Judge Kimberly Cocroft at the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. HB 308 should not affect that case, said Hunter and Alley.
As with HB 507, though, lawmakers added last-minute amendments to HB 308. One of those would extend lease terms for drilling under state park and wildlife areas from three years to five years. That was unacceptable to Brennan, who voted against the Senate amendments when it came back to the Ohio House.
Still, he supports what he views as the main purpose of the legislation: attracting more nuclear power to Ohio. In his view, solar and wind won’t be enough to meet growing energy demands while shifting away from fossil fuels in order to address climate change. “I believe nuclear is going to be hugely important for our energy independence, and hopefully Ohio will become an exporter of electricity in the future.”
Hunter wasn’t surprised that lawmakers made last-minute amendments to the bill. For her, it shows the importance of the ongoing litigation over HB 507.
“Those constitutional protections are there for a reason,” she said. “And seeing the General Assembly have blatant disregard for them again and again harms Ohioans. It deprives them of these constitutional rights.”
The following commentary was written by Jesse Velazquez, Climate Justice Manager at the Ohio Environmental Council. See our commentary guidelines for more information.
In his victory speech, President-elect Donald Trump promised to further boost “liquid gold,” also known as oil and gas. Today, oil and gas production is at record highs and continues to grow. As the industry expands, so do concerns about methane pollution.
The primary component of natural gas is methane, a potent greenhouse gas that warms the planet more than 80 times as much as carbon dioxide over 20 years. It’s also a significant contributor to smog and public health issues like asthma and respiratory disease, disproportionately affecting vulnerable communities. Yet, efforts to reduce methane emissions present a rare win-win opportunity: they not only curb pollution but also create jobs and foster innovation.
Take Pennsylvania, one of the largest natural gas producers, for example. By adopting innovative methane mitigation strategies, the state is reducing harmful emissions from oil and gas operations while creating jobs and fostering a cleaner, more sustainable energy future. This balanced approach showcases how economic growth and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand, offering a model that Ohio should replicate.
According to the 2024 State of the Methane Mitigation Industry Report, developing and implementing technologies to cut methane pollution would create jobs ranging from manufacturing leak-detection equipment to technicians skilled in repairing faulty infrastructure. Pennsylvania saw a 22.2% growth in methane mitigation companies over the last three years. Since 2014, the industry has expanded by 65% with the state now hosting 33 methane mitigation companies. In fact, Pennsylvania is now home to 8.5% of the total employee locations in this sector nationwide.
These good-paying, family-sustaining jobs bolster local economies while addressing critical environmental challenges. And the opportunity for Ohio is immense.
The benefits extend far beyond jobs. Reducing methane emissions means less wasted energy. Nationally, oil and gas companies emit enough methane waste annually that could be utilized to meet the energy needs of millions of homes. Capturing the lost gases would translate directly into increased efficiency and cost savings. For a state like Ohio, with its large-scale oil and gas operations, this represents a tangible economic benefit.
This isn’t just about economic gains. Methane mitigation is also a crucial climate strategy. The U.S. EPA’s Section 111 Methane Rule, finalized a year ago, set robust federal standards to limit methane emissions from oil and gas operations. While essential, this rule relies heavily on state-level implementation to achieve its full potential. States like Ohio have a chance to lead by adopting and building on these standards, aligning economic growth with environmental stewardship.
And we know clean air and economic growth are priorities that transcend party lines, as evidenced by the broad coalition of businesses, environmental advocates, and community leaders rallying behind these initiatives.
Ohio is at a crossroads. We can continue business as usual, or we can follow Pennsylvania’s lead, investing in proven technologies and practices that cut emissions, prevent waste, protect public health, and drive economic growth.
By prioritizing methane mitigation, the state can chart a path that aligns with both the nation’s energy ambitions and the pressing need for climate action. This is not just a moral imperative but an economic one that promises cleaner air, healthier communities, and a thriving workforce for generations to come.
Three Ohio companies are investing in hydrogen fuel cell passenger vehicles even as the U.S. market for electric vehicles continues to grow. Each has an innovative approach to the chicken-and-egg problem of having fuel available when and where drivers need it.
The Ohio companies’ focus on fuel cell passenger vehicles is unique nationwide, especially for a state that doesn’t yet have any public hydrogen fueling stations. California, where almost all of the country’s hydrogen fuel cell cars are registered, still has fewer than 60 public stations.
“When we see hydrogen transportation deployment projects, it’s really more on the medium- and heavy-duty side,” said Mark Henning, a researcher at Cleveland State University’s Energy Policy Center at the Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs.
A hydrogen car is essentially an electric vehicle with an onboard fuel cell providing electricity alongside a battery. General Motors first displayed a prototype for a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle back in the 1960s, but hydrogen cars weren’t available to U.S. consumers until leases for the 2015 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell began, with sales of the Toyota Mirai starting that fall.
Hydrogen car sales have been essentially limited to California, where state policy and public funding supported the development of some public fueling stations. Since then, only about 18,000 fuel cell cars have been sold in the U.S.
Yet Ohio companies have been working on hydrogen energy for more than two decades. The state trade association, the Ohio Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Coalition, traces its history back to 2003.
If successful, the current efforts could eventually provide another option for switching away from gasoline-powered cars. While electric vehicles are comparable in price, hydrogen cars can be refueled quickly — assuming the infrastructure is available — and offer more consistent range in cold weather. But much could hinge on how quickly hydrogen infrastructure develops, as well as how quickly and effectively plug-in electric vehicle makers deal with their own range and charging challenges.
One example of the desire for hydrogen vehicle alternatives comes from DLZ, an engineering, architectural and project management company headquartered in Columbus with offices across the United States as well as in India and Costa Rica. The company has a fleet of about 250 vehicles across the Midwest, including electric vehicles. In 2022, it added six Hyundai hydrogen fuel cell cars for use by professionals from its Columbus office.
“The hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have a lot more consistent performance in range and durability,” especially in cold weather, said Ram Rajadhyaksha, DLZ’s executive vice president. The range for the cars is sufficient for round trips the office’s professionals make to site locations around the state, he explained at the Ohio Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Coalition symposium in North Canton last month.
Hydrogen fuel cell cars aren’t sold in Ohio yet, so DLZ had its six Hyundai vehicles shipped from California to Columbus. Except for the fuel cells, dealers in Ohio can provide any necessary service the vehicles may need, Rajakhyasksha said.
The cars also need a regular source of hydrogen, so DLZ added its own. Its station in Columbus can generate about 20 kilograms of hydrogen per day, using electricity from a solar array atop a large building on company property. A net metering agreement lets DLZ sell any excess electricity from the array to the grid.
Nonetheless, there were hurdles, including permitting, building codes, supply chain issues during the tail end of the pandemic, and even signage codes.
Made in Ohio
While California has been the country’s epicenter for fuel cell vehicles, Honda Motors is now producing the first American-made hybrid hydrogen vehicle at its Marysville plant in Ohio. Its 2025 CR-V e:FCEV model can go roughly 270 miles on a tank of hydrogen. There’s also a small electric battery which provides a driving range of about 30 miles. A 110-volt power outlet on the vehicle can run small home appliances or other equipment.
That range is about the same as Honda’s all-electric Prologue SUV, which also has a comparable list price. But the company believes there is room for both.
“It’s not one or the other,” said Dave Perzynski, assistant manager for hydrogen solutions business development at Honda, who also spoke at the Ohio Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Coalition symposium. “It’s using the right equipment at the right place at the right time.” The CR-V’s electric charging range is about right for his daily round-trip commute, he said, while the fuel cell offers flexibility for longer trips.
Honda’s goal is to achieve 100% decarbonization, Perzynski said. However, limits on local electric grids can make that difficult in some places. “If you can electrify it, if it works, then do that,” he said. “And once that stops working, then thank goodness we’ve been investing in hydrogen for the last 20 years, because there are places and times when you run out of power.”
As a practical matter, the Ohio-made cars’ initial market will be California. For other states, Honda is counting on others to build out the fueling infrastructure.
“The only way we can do that is through a coalition,” Perzynski said. “We can’t build infrastructure alone.”
Building a network
Millennium Reign Energy in Dayton has a membership model to develop hydrogen infrastructure along with the demand for it. Its Emerald H2 network will help customers buy used fuel cell vehicles, while also providing access to hydrogen fueling stations designed and built by the company.
As the number of customers in an area grows, Millennium Reign Energy would swap out the fueling station for one with larger capacity. The smaller station would then go to another location. Access to the stations would be for members only, although members traveling outside their local area could use stations elsewhere.
“Our mission is to build the first transcontinental hydrogen highway,” said CEO Chris McWhinney as he explained the model at the fuel cell program last month. The company’s fueling stations are already operating at places outside the United States, as well as three private facilities in Ohio. The company plans to add its first Emerald H2 network stations in the Dayton area early next year.
The stations use electricity and water to make hydrogen, so using one with a nearby source of solar, wind, hydropower or geothermal energy can provide green energy, versus just moving emissions from tailpipes up to power plants, McWhinney said. That can also bring the cost for the hydrogen fuel down below that of gasoline, he suggested, as renewable electricity continues to get cheaper.
Hurdles ahead
Whether hydrogen-powered passenger vehicles are the best use for renewable energy remains questionable. A study published in Joule last August found battery-electric vehicles were roughly three times more efficient in using renewable electricity than fuel-cell vehicles.
“The battery-electric case is much more efficient than the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle,” said Greg Keoleian, co-director of the University of Michigan’s MI Hydrogen initiative, and one of the co-authors of the Joule study. Ideally, renewable energy will be used efficiently, given the limited amount on the grid now and the urgent need to decarbonize because of climate change, he said.
Battery electric cars also have a much bigger charging network, with nearly 70,000 stations nationwide, Keoleian noted. Cost is also an issue, he added, noting that hydrogen fuel in California currently costs about five times as much as gasoline would to go the same distance.
Henning did note that one of Ohio’s public transit systems, SARTA, the Stark Area Regional Transit Authority, has had hydrogen buses as part of its fleet since 2016. Transit fleets also often need a handful of passenger vehicles, which might be able to use tbuses’ hydrogen fueling station while also qualifying for bulk discounts that may start with the acquisition of five or six vehicles, he said.
The Department of Energy’s recent push for hydrogen hubs might also play an indirect role, suggested Sergey Paltsev, deputy director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy. None of the hub projects so far focus on light-duty vehicles, but infrastructure developed for other purposes could make it easier to develop fueling stations. In that case, the Ohio companies could be angling for a competitive advantage.
Yet much remains unknown about whether the incoming Trump administration will continue incentives begun in the Biden administration, Henning said. The law’s tax credit can apply to fuel cell vehicles with final assembly in North America, which might apply to Honda’s hybrid car — if the Inflation Reduction Act continues.
“I do think there is an appetite and there is a customer base for fuel cell electric vehicles, and I can imagine different use cases where that makes more sense” than an all-electric car, said Grant Goodrich, executive director of the Great Lakes Energy Institute at Case Western Reserve University. Multiple people in Northeast Ohio have expressed reluctance to buy an electric vehicle now, especially given the challenges of harsh winter weather.
Yet the infrastructure for electric vehicles is much farther ahead, and electric vehicle makers continue to work to improve performance. “Will the technology of battery and electric vehicles improve enough to stay ahead of FCEV adoption so that is able to keep that challenge at bay?” Goodrich asked.
Early last month, he would have put money on the EV makers to stay ahead. After hearing the presentations from Honda, Millenium Reign Energy and DLZ, he’s not so sure.
“It’s not a done deal,” Goodrich said, noting that the hydrogen fueling experience also seems to be a more natural replacement for the habits customers have adopted as drivers of vehicles with internal combustion engines. “If it was to roll out faster, I think you could see some competition there.”
Editor’s note: This story was updated to clarify Greg Keoleian’s role.
Community and environmental justice advocates say the Biden administration is failing to deliver promised transparency and public engagement around its $7 billion clean hydrogen hub initiative.
“Engagement isn’t merely leading people into a process that’s going to happen with or without them,” said Tom Torres, hydrogen program director for the Ohio River Valley Institute, a nonprofit serving one of the regions where federally funded partnerships are trying to lay the groundwork for new local hydrogen economies. “It means meaningfully involving people in the decisions about the project.”
The U.S. Department of Energy announced funding in October 2023 for seven regional clean hydrogen hubs — clusters of interconnected projects meant to kickstart production of the fuel with little or no greenhouse gas emissions. Since then, the department has held online briefings and virtual listening sessions for each hub, but advocates say they are not getting the kind of information necessary to assess who will be impacted by the projects and how.
Torres and others say they want more than just dots on a map. They want to know how hydrogen will be produced, how it will be used, and how it will get to end users. For projects that depend on carbon capture, they want to know how and where the carbon will be captured, transported and stored. And once the specifics are known, they want a chance to have meaningful input on the final projects.
Spokespeople for the Department of Energy and regional hubs said the answers to those questions are still being worked out and that more engagement is on the horizon. Advocates are increasingly frustrated and fear that community input will come too late to affect how the hubs are developed.
“It doesn’t make sense … on one hand to say there’s not enough on paper to tell the public about, but on the other hand there is enough to allocate almost $1 billion for these companies,” Torres said.
Are events just ‘checking a box’?
When burned as a fuel source, hydrogen does not emit carbon dioxide, but its production today almost always comes from fossil fuels. Some see a potential for hydrogen to replace natural gas in certain hard-to-electrify sectors such as industry or heavy duty transportation, but the benefits for addressing climate change hinge on whether it can be produced cleanly and at scale.
The Biden administration’s hydrogen hub program, part of the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, aims to ramp up production of hydrogen made with low-carbon energy, including renewables, nuclear power, and fossil fuels paired with carbon capture.
“It is literally like building the natural gas infrastructure that we have all over the place again for hydrogen,” said Shawn Bennett, energy and resilience manager for Battelle, the project manager for the Appalachian Regional Hydrogen Hub, ARCH2, which includes projects for Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. A majority of its projects will use steam methane reforming to make hydrogen from natural gas, along with carbon capture and storage. Other projects in the hub plan to make hydrogen from waste gases or from electrolysis, which uses energy to split water molecules.
In May, dozens of groups urged the Department of Energy to suspend funding discussions for the ARCH2 project until the public receives detailed information beyond general maps and short project descriptions. On July 31 the Department of Energy formally committed the first $30 million of federal funding to ARCH2, with a total of up to $925 million to be spent over the next decade or so.
Last month, the Department of Energy committed up to $1 billion for the Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen, MachH2, which spans Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Iowa and plans to produce hydrogen from a mix of nuclear power, wind energy and natural gas. The department will hold a December 9 briefing on MachH2.
In response to the Energy News Network’s questions about community groups’ complaints about a lack of outreach, a Department of Energy spokesperson provided a statement saying it “has been actively engaged with these communities in support of the economic playbook” of the Biden-Harris administration.
The ARCH2 project held a community outreach session in West Virginia in November, and additional meetings will be held in Ohio and Pennsylvania early next year, Bennett said. Some community group members protested outside at the West Virginia session but then came inside for a good discussion, he added.
Torres said there was no general presentation at the West Virginia meeting, and company representatives were present for only a handful of the hub’s projects. Even then, project information was still sparse.
“It wasn’t an opportunity for people’s voices to be heard,” he said. “What is the value of these events other than checking a box for these companies?”
Advocacy groups focusing on the MachH2 project said months went by without getting updates or details. Then last month, they got less than 24 hours’ notice for a briefing with general descriptions about the MachH2 hub projects.
During that session, representatives for the Department of Energy said a decision on the hub’s funding commitment would come soon, “probably next week sometime,” said Susan Thomas, the legislative and policy director and communications manager for Just Transition Northwest Indiana. Minutes after the November 20 session ended, the Department of Energy announced the MachH2 funding commitment.
“Our jaws were on the table,” Thomas said.
Details remain to be worked out
Groups have been trying to get answers from the Department of Energy for more than a year, said Chris Chyung, executive director of Indiana Conservation Voters. In his view, the agency’s approach “is just flouting the law.” According to the Department of Energy’s website, engagement with communities and labor is a key principle required in hubs’ community benefits plans, which are part of hubs’ contractual obligations for funding.
Community groups learned in the November 20 briefing that the MachH2 community engagement would not address concerns related to any pipelines associated with the hub. Instead, those would be handled by a separate office within the Department of Energy.
But a pipeline for northwestern Indiana “is absolutely part and parcel of [a] dirty hydrogen project that is part of MachH2,” and the community should get a say on it, said Lauren Piette, an attorney with Earthjustice, which does not consider hydrogen made with natural gas to be climate-friendly, even with carbon capture.
The Department of Energy spokesperson did not respond to the Energy News Network’s question about how community benefits for hub projects can fully be assessed if they don’t include consideration of issues and input related to necessary pipelines.
Representatives of the MachH2 and ARCH2 hubs who spoke at an Ohio Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Consortium program last month said they couldn’t practically engage in community outreach until funding commitments had been negotiated with the Department of Energy. Until then, it wasn’t certain whether each hub would move forward.
Also, as a practical matter, “there was no budget for these things,” Bennett said. Details for each hub’s projects are still being worked out, and ARCH2 is still trying to add additional project partners.
Even then, details for projects won’t be finalized until review under the National Environmental Policy Act, according to Neil Banwart, who is the chief integration officer for the MachH2 hub and also the managing director for hydrogen at Energy Systems Network.
“It’s not a certainty that all of the projects will get built in the locations that we shared on a map,” he said.
Chyung said he felt the comments about funding were “a complete dodge on behalf of these extremely wealthy national corporations that have said since 2023 they were eager to get started on community outreach.”
A successful regional collaboration to secure federal Inflation Reduction Act money in northeast Ohio has inspired a new, ongoing effort to help cities, counties, utilities and community groups coordinate on clean energy.
Three Cleveland-area foundations last month announced the launch of Power Up Local, which aims to play both a matchmaker and wedding planner role on large-scale, regional clean energy developments. The initiative plans to help connect potential partners, maximize projects’ community benefits, and facilitate joint funding opportunities such as federal grants, tax incentives, or green bank loans.
“This is really looking for the larger, more ambitious stakeholder projects that have direct stakeholder benefits,” said Daniel Gray, Power Up Local’s executive director. A big emphasis will be on assembling groups who “might not have worked with each other originally or understood where there’s an overlap” between clean energy and other goals.
The initiative could offer a new path for local leaders to advance in a place where state government remains hostile to clean energy. The continued availability of federal funding is in question following former President Donald Trump’s reelection, but Gray and others said they are confident some form of federal support for clean energy will remain during his second term.
The idea for Power Up Local grew out of collaboration among Cuyahoga County, the cities of Cleveland and Painesville, and other organizations on a $129 million grant application under the federal Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program. The application was among those awarded funding in July. It includes money for closing a coal plant and building multiple solar arrays, including on four closed landfills.
Beyond reducing pollution, the project will help lower electricity costs and generate revenue. Some of that will in turn aid in conservation efforts for the West Creek Conservancy, including lakeside access for residents in Lake County. Gray did some work on the project as director of local strategies for the Citizens Utility Board of Ohio, and local philanthropic support also helped in assembling the grant application.
The Cleveland Foundation, George Gund Foundation and the Fund for Our Economic Future are providing initial funding for Power Up Local. Initially, the program’s three full-time employees are being housed under Fund for Our Economic Future, with a goal of spinning it out as an independent nonprofit by 2027.
Gray said Power Up Local will help stakeholders think bigger and more broadly about projects. For example, a project to redevelop a former industrial site may be able to help bring in other properties from a land bank or other group, potentially expanding into an economic redevelopment district that might support a microgrid, he suggested.
“We can add efficiency to projects, both financially and timewise,” Gray said.
Power Up Local will be a resource for organizations that want to add clean energy to a project but may not have the time or bandwidth to figure out how to do it. “They don’t necessarily know how to engage the marketplace,” Gray said.
And when it comes to funding, competitive grants will just be part of the story. A range of other credits or incentives can also help bring more clean energy. That raised a question, said Stephen Love, program director for environmental initiatives at the Cleveland Foundation: “What would it look like at scale beyond just the competitive grants to really unlock the whole scale of federal resources?”
While Power Up Local will work on clean energy projects, those projects must still be “net-neutral or revenue-positive” in order to promote economic development, Gray said. “We’re looking to develop as much community benefit as possible.”
Those benefits can come from lower electricity rates for people with high energy burdens, health benefits from lower pollution, job opportunities, conservation, access to parks, redevelopment of properties to attract businesses, and so on.
“This is about economic development. This is about creating economic opportunity in our communities,” said Love. As he sees it, clean energy can help drive that development.
Uncertainties ahead
No one knows what Trump’s presidential victory will mean for federal clean energy funding, but advocates are confident some funding will still be available.
“There are still grants to go after, and will likely still be grants to go after in the future,” Gray said. A repeal of the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law would take time, and much of the grant funding has flowed to districts that supported Trump in 2020.
Even if agencies under Trump stopped carrying out the law, “I don’t think the bulk of the IRA direct credits are going to go away,” Gray said. He noted that Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Bainbridge Township) is among 18 members of Congress who wrote to House Speaker Mike Johnson this summer to support continuation of the energy tax credits.
Atlas Public Policy’s Climate Portal Program estimates those tax credits could exceed a quarter of a trillion dollars, with nearly another $250 billion of potential credits under the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Those credits can serve as refunds for nonprofits and local governments, which is how sewage treatment authorities in Columbus and Cincinnati plan to offset big chunks of the costs for biogas plants at two of their wastewater treatment facilities.
Financing opportunities will also be available from green banks, Gray said. Commercial banks also are looking to expand their portfolios for financing clean energy projects as part of corporate sustainability goals, he noted.
Power A Clean Future Ohio has already been working for several years to help its 50 local government members find ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions, based on their individual interests and priorities. Executive Director Joe Flarida said Power Up Local’s work will be a welcome complement to its ongoing work.
“It just underscores the huge needs we have in the state of Ohio to invest locally and ensure that our local leaders and local governments have all the resources they need to do this work efficiently,” he said.
In Flarida’s view, an anti-climate approach by the incoming Trump administration “is also an anti-jobs approach.” And even if the federal government no longer treats climate change as a key priority, “that doesn’t change the reality that this is an issue we have to address head on,” he said.
Gray encourages local governments and other organizations with ideas for projects to reach out in the coming weeks and months.
“Now is the time to start thinking about what might be possible,” he said.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to finalize more than $200 million in grant funding in the coming weeks to accelerate the clean energy transition at three Great Lakes shipping ports.
The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority, and the Illinois International Port District were each selected for grants last month under the Biden administration’s Clean Ports Program.
The U.S. EPA said it intends to finalize grant agreements by December or January. That action will obligate the federal government to pay roughly $3 billion in grants under the program, even if President-elect Donald Trump or the next Congress tries to repeal or block further action under the Inflation Reduction Act.
The $94 million grant announced for the Cleveland port is the largest it has ever received and will help it build on work that’s already underway to electrify and decarbonize its infrastructure.
“It puts us at the forefront of decarbonization,” said William Friedman, president and chief executive officer of Cleveland’s port authority. “Now we’ll be able to start figuring out what’s the phase-in and then how do we move forward with the next round.”
The Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority will get approximately $25 million for solar panels, charging infrastructure and electric cargo handling equipment, and another $95 million will go to the Illinois EPA for solar, battery storage and hydrogen-related investments at the Illinois International Port District serving greater Chicago.
The largest share of grants will go to ports along the East and West coasts. “But the program is also intended to set the foundation for transitioning the entire port industry to zero emissions,” said Jennifer Macedonia, a deputy assistant administrator for U.S. EPA. “And there are important communities around many of our inland ports as well.”
The shipping industry accounts for roughly 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. While the bulk of that is from ships themselves, port operations typically rely on diesel power for most of their energy. And ships often burn fuel to power equipment even while they’re in port.
The EPA’s review process included ensuring that selected projects can achieve or exceed goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as well as other pollution that can affect nearby communities, said U.S. EPA Administrator Michael Regan. Those criteria air pollutants are ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, lead, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide.
The work is especially important for Ohio, which has lagged other Midwest states and regions in deploying strategies to reduce greenhouse gases, said Valerie Katz, deputy director for Cuyahoga Green Energy. “Our regional decarbonization efforts will reduce environmental exposure to toxic air pollutants for downstream Ohio communities.”
Funding for the Port of Cleveland will encompass work for electric cargo-handling equipment and vessels that serve the port, along with solar generation and battery storage, charging infrastructure and shore power for vessels. Project partners include Logistec USA, the commercial operator for day-to-day operations, as well as the Great Lakes Towing Company, which will build two electric tug boats.
Decarbonization is a “competitive advantage that will attract more shipping volume to our port,” said Baiju Shah, president and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Partnership. “Companies are striving to reduce their environmental footprints through their operations and value chains,” including Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions. “In addition, electrifying the port operations supports our region’s clean air efforts.”
That’s especially important given the port’s location near the downtown lakefront and riverfront areas, Shah said. Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River are the focus for several waterfront development projects aimed at drawing more business and visitors to Cleveland.
Funding for the Port of Detroit will go toward electric cargo-handling equipment, some vessels and railcar movers, along with charging infrastructure and solar generation. Part of the money also will be used to develop a roadmap for adding EV and hydrogen fueling infrastructure. The Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority is part of the Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen, or MachH2, which was selected last year for $1 billion in Department of Energy funding for a hydrogen hub.
Funding for the Illinois International Port District will cover a variety of projects for its three ports, including hydrogen fueling infrastructure, solar energy and battery storage, and hydrogen and electric cargo handling equipment. Hydrogen and electric locomotives also are on EPA’s program selections list. The Illinois EPA is the lead partner for the grant work.
Like its counterpart in Cleveland, the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority had already begun working on plans to move to cleaner energy sources for Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. But zero-emissions equipment to move cargo is new in the U.S. shipping industry and is still generally more expensive than fossil-fueled counterparts.
“What’s great about the EPA grant is that it helps these businesses make the decision to choose this cleaner technology,” said Mark Schrupp, executive director for the Detroit port authority. Over time, costs for such equipment should come down, but the grants will help launch market growth.
Various projects among the 55 selected for grants last month have planning components and provisions for community engagement or workforce development. Planning work on emissions inventories can position other ports to move ahead with clean energy in the future, Macedonia said.
The U.S. EPA plans to move ahead swiftly to finalize grant agreements, which will have the effect of protecting the funds from a possible clawback under Trump or the next Congress.
“We will be awarding the grants in December of 2024 and January of 2025… so that money will be obligated on or before the end of this administration,” Regan said. Depending on the projects, implementation will occur over the next three to four years.
In Cleveland, that means a big chunk of work under the new grant will be taking place even as renovation of the Port of Cleveland’s Warehouse A and electrical work take place under its current projects.
“We’ll have to throw a lot here at the engineers and construction project management people to figure this out,” Friedman said. Yet the timing means it will be that much sooner for the port to move to zero emissions for its own operations.
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