LISLE, Ill. and MIAMI, Flo. – Mobico Group has announced that it has reached an agreement for the sale of its School Bus division, National Express School (NEXS) to I Squared Capital, a specialist global infrastructure investor. The acquisition, which is anticipated to close in the third quarter of this year, will involve all brands associated with NEXS, including Durham School Services, Petermann Bus, and Stock Transportation.
As one of the largest student transportation companies in North America, NEXS is a transportation leader with over 100+ years of experience in the industry with a renowned history of safe and reliable transportation service. With its high-visibility contracting model and sticky revenue streams, NEXS looks forward to embarking on a new chapter of growth in partnership with I Squared while retaining our market-leading safety record and brand heritage.
Tim Wertner, CEO of National Express School, said, “This transfer of ownership will allow us to stand on a much stronger financial foundation for a wider spectrum of new opportunities and growth to benefit our stakeholders, valued partners, and prospects, as well as reinforce our position as a transportation leader and flourish to even greater heights. With I Squared Capital’s strong reputation and support of our Company, we firmly believe they will be an outstanding steward for us, and we look forward to furthering our footprint in the student transportation industry together.”
Gautam Bhandari, Global Chief Investment Officer and Managing Partner at I Squared, said: “School transportation is more than just a daily commute. It’s a vital link to education, which underpins a functioning society regardless of the economic cycle. As infrastructure specialists, I Squared has specific expertise in providing vital public services, including public transport. Our investment will provide the capital needed to upgrade equipment and maintain safe, efficient transportation for children using this essential service so parents can rest assured each time their family member travels. We are proud to add this critical business to our portfolio and look forward to continuing to support its growth in North America.”
About National Express School
National Express School (NEXS) is the North American subsidiary of Mobico Group, one of the premier global mobility firms. We operate across 34 states and two provinces. Our organizations share a strong commitment to provide the highest level of safety, quality, outstanding customer service and positive employee relations. National Express School serves more than 400 school districts and contracts in 30 states and two provinces, and transports more than 1.2 million students on a daily basis.
About I Squared Capital
I Squared Capital is a leading global infrastructure investor managing over $40 billion in assets. We build and scale essential infrastructure businesses that deliver critical services to millions of people worldwide. Our portfolio includes over 90 companies operating in more than 70 countries and spanning sectors such as energy, utilities, digital infrastructure, transport, environmental and social infrastructure. Headquartered in Miami, our team of over 300 professionals is based across offices in Abu Dhabi, London, Munich, New Delhi, São Paulo, Singapore, Sydney and Taipei. Learn more at www.isquaredcapital.com.
Illinois lawmakers are advancing legislation that would require all newly purchased school buses in the state to be equipped with lap/shoulder seatbelts. Now entering its third reading in the Senate, the bill marks the state’s latest and most promising step toward aligning with national safety recommendations for student transportation.
If enacted, Illinois would become the seventh state to mandate three-point restraints on school buses, joining Arkansas, California, Iowa, Nevada, New Jersey, and Texas.
SB191 is sponsored by Sen. Julie A. Morrison with Sen. Mike Simmons (D–Chicago) as co-sponsor. Rep. Bob Morgan has pre-filed companion legislation in the Illinois House.
A second amendment under discussion would change the effective date of the mandate to Jan. 1, 2031, from the original date of Jan. 1, 2028. According to legislation advocates, this adjustment is being considered to address concerns from previous opponents and help move the legislation forward.
It also does not require school districts, private schools, or school bus contractors to require student passenger seatbelt usage and only applies to owned vehicles.
SB191 with the amendment was referred Wednesday to the Senate Transportation Committee.
The effort to draft and promote the bill has been spearheaded in part by Kimberly Loughlin, an Illinois-based curriculum designer and certified child passenger safety technician (CPST) with the additional eight-hour school bus endorsement. She collaborated with the National Safety Council on revising its 2022 revision of Child Passenger Safety on School Buses course for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The seminar taught at the STN EXPO East, STN EXPO West and TSD Conference each year is widely taught as an advanced supplement to the national 32-hour CPST certification course.
Loughlin became involved in legislative advocacy after a series of personal incidents her family encountered while she was rewriting the eight-hour course. Her son was involved in two separate school bus crashes just a month apart while attending summer camp field trips offered through their local park district. While none of the children were seriously injured, her son was thrown forward and struck his head. The buses lacked seatbelts.
Only a few months later, Loughlin and her son were involved in a separate car crash, suffering concussions and lingering injuries. The experiences reshaped her perspective on injury reporting and the long-term effects of non-fatal trauma, especially for children.
Although her local school district contracts with transportation providers that include two-point lap belts, Loughlin observed that children often didn’t wear them, leading to behavior issues and unsafe conditions. When she encouraged the district to implement safer lap-and-shoulder belts and a seatbelt usage policy, she was told ity would not act unless legally required. That led her to connect with Sen. Morrison, who made the effort to advance state-level legislation.
In developing the bill, Loughlin worked with Denise Donaldson, editor and publisher of Safe Ride News, and Charlie Vits, formerly with IMMI/Safeguard, to draft policy language modeled on similar laws in other states. Donaldson is a CPST instructor for the NHTSA course. Dr. Kristin Poland, Deputy Director at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), also collaborated with Loughlin in support of the bill.
The team of advocates credit recent industry developments, such as Blue Bird Corporation’s announcement that lap-and-shoulder belts would be standard on all new buses starting last fall, with shifting the conversation around cost. With one of the major manufacturers standardizing the passenger restraint systems, the economic argument against seatbelt mandates has lost momentum, they claim.
In addition to the NHTSA eight-hour seminar, Donaldson is scheduled to present at this year’s STN EXPO West Conference in Reno, Nevada, on the top 10 safety concerns in school transportation—including the ongoing lack of lap/shoulder seatbelt use.
While school bus compartmentalization can reduce injuries in frontal crashes, it is insufficient in side-impact or rollover events. Decades of data including that from the National Transportation Safety Board on high-profile school bus crashes support the efficacy of lap-and-shoulder belts, which also contribute to improved behavior, reduced driver distraction and more effective emergency evacuations.
“Something so simple as a seatbelt can make all the difference in the world,” Loughlin said. “It shouldn’t take a catastrophic event to realize the importance of protecting kids in this very basic way.”
A Ridgeview School District bus driver in McLean County, Illinois, is facing charges for allegedly grabbing an 11-year-old student and leaving red marks on the back of his neck and arms, reported 25 News.
The bus driver, identified as 64-year-old Joseph C. Zimmerman, is facing one felony count of aggravated battery to a child than 13 and two misdemeanor battery counts.
According to the news report, police saw a video showing Zimmerman grabbing the boy by the back of the neck. Zimmerman admitted grabbing the boy’s arm but said he does not remember grabbing the child’s neck.
Zimmerman reportedly grabbed the boy for kicking a ball out of the bus. He told police that students are not allowed to have balls in the bus and this particular ball did not belong to the boy.
The article states that a judge released Zimmerman on the condition that he does not have contact outside his house with anyone under 18-years-old. It was unclear if he was fired from his job or suspended pending investigation.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – With distracted driving on the rise across the United States, BusGates, a leading manufacturer of LED stop arm extensions, is elevating its mission of enhancing student safety by launching a new pilot program that will give away its technology to school districts across the U.S.
During April’s National Distracted Driving Awareness Month BusGates will ship participating schools one patented stop arm extension to test and keep at no charge while inventory lasts.
BusGates are uniquely designed to make school buses more visible to approaching traffic. By extending the arm five feet from the side of the bus, the BusGates LED extension acts as a physical and visual barrier, warning drivers from a greater distance and helping to reduce illegal drive-arounds.
“As parents, all of us at BusGates understand the importance of keeping our children safe, especially when they are getting to and from school,” said Dan Thompson, Founding Partner at BusGates. “We believe every school should benefit from our proactive technology and this pilot program will make it even more accessible.”
A 2023 National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) bus driver survey found that there were more than 43.5 million illegal school bus passings in the United States during the 2022-2023 school year. This alarming statistic highlights the urgent need for increased awareness and stronger external safety measures on school buses.
“Our products are a simple solution that easily retrofits the existing stop sign on school buses,” said Trevor Clatfelter, Founding Partner at BusGates. “The stop arm extensions offer additional visibility with flashing LED lights and extend 5 feet from the bus making drive-arounds much harder.”
School districts in more than 20 states have made their bus fleets more visible by installing BusGates LED-lit stop arm extensions that add a physical barrier to oncoming traffic and significantly reduce illegal passing.
Here’s how BusGates stop arm extensions work:
Physical Barrier: When a school bus stops to load or unload children, the BusGates stop arm extends just over 5 feet into the adjacent lanes of traffic. This physical presence is highly visible and is a deterrent to motorists who might otherwise consider passing the bus. Enhanced Visibility: The extended stop arm is well-lit with high-powered LED flashing lights offering additional warning as vehicles approach. This visibility serves as a strong reminder to drivers to stop, as required by law. Immediate Deterrent: By creating a tangible obstruction, BusGates immediately influences driver behavior, preventing potential violations before they occur.
Unlike cameras aboard many school buses, which serve as surveillance tools to catch motorists who illegally pass school buses, stop arm extensions aim to prevent the behavior in the first place.
Distracted Driving Awareness Month highlights the dangers of distracted driving behaviors, including the illegal passing of school buses, and the need for more focus behind the wheel, especially in marked school zones and bus stops in communities across the country.
About BusGates:
BusGates is on a mission to reduce vehicle “drive-arounds” at bus stops across America and make getting to and from school safer for students. Bus Gates stop-arm extensions are a simple, cost-effective solution to a major problem – cars ignoring stopped school bus warnings putting students at risk. Bus Gates stop-arm extensions easily retro fits to the existing school bus stop signs. They offer additional visibility and stick out further from the bus to make drivers more aware and reducing “drive-arounds” by up to 95%.
PLAINFIELD, Ill. – Durham School Services, a leader in student transportation, is expanding its footprint in Illinois with a new three-year partnership with the Plainfield Community Consolidated School District (CCSD) 202 starting this August. The Company currently serves several communities throughout Illinois, which includes schools in Lake, McHenry, Cook, DuPage, Kane, Will, Kendall, McDonough, Sangamon, Christian, Jefferson, Franklin, Williamson, and Johnson counties.
Over the course of the next three years, Durham will service approximately 108 special education (SPED) routes for the school district. Buses will be equipped with the latest safety technology such as DriveCam and Zonar Fleet Management.
Durham School Services will be holding a hiring event for prospective school bus drivers and monitors from March 31 – April 4, 2025, from 9AM – 5PM in the Media Center of Plainfield East High School located at 12001 Naperville Rd, Plainfield, IL 60585. Walk-ins are welcome.
Through this new partnership, Durham School Services aims to also contribute to the positive growth and advancement of the Plainfield community by participating in and supporting local events through its Partners Beyond the Bus community outreach program.
Michael Peterson, Director of Transportation of Plainfield School District 202 shared, “Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 looks forward to the partnership with Durham School Services and level of service that our community expects.”
“We are delighted to be able to serve another community of students and families in Illinois through this new partnership with Plainfield School District 202,” said Janine Hilliard, Region Manager, Durham School Services. “Our team has been diligently preparing behind the scenes to ensure a successful school start-up. We look forward to living up to Durham’s 100+ year reputation of providing excellent service and delivering safe, reliable service to the students of Plainfield CCSD 202. Thank you again to the school district for giving us this opportunity and entrusting the safety of your students to us.”
About Durham School Services: As an industry-leading student transportation provider, Durham School Services is dedicated to the safety of our students and People. For more than 100 years, we have been committed to Excellence and upholding our mission of getting students to school safely, on time, and ready to learn. Through this mission and a grassroots approach to our operations, Durham School Services has earned recognition as a trusted transportation provider among our Customers and the Communities we serve.
JOLIET, Ill., – After more than 25 years of delivering reliable and innovative communication solutions, A Beep, LLC is excited to announce its official rebranding as Diga-Talk Solutions. This transformation marks a significant milestone in the company’s commitment to providing cutting-edge, nationwide two-way digital communication services and solutions for an ever-changing horizon in two-way communication and beyond.
Diga-Talk Solutions will serve as the umbrella brand for all Diga-Talk+ and School-Radio products and services, integrating its renowned customer support with an expanded suite of offerings tailored to meet the evolving needs of businesses.
“We are excited to introduce Diga-Talk Solutions as the next step in our company’s journey,” said Michael Ippolito, COO of Diga-Talk Solutions. “This rebranding represents our dedication to advancing communication technology while maintaining the exceptional service and reliability our customers trust.”
Enhanced Capabilities for the Future
With this rebrand, Diga-Talk Solutions introduces a broader range of communication services, including:
Turnkey PoC Solutions – Fully integrated Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) systems. Standalone PoC Servers – Custom server solutions for independent communication networks. Multi-Carrier SIMs for PoC – Seamless connectivity across multiple networks. AI Voice Analytics with VoiceBrain – Intelligent voice analysis for improved efficiency. Over-the-Top App Support – Enhanced functionality for select communication devices. Interoperability – Greater compatibility with existing systems.
Meet Us at IWCE 2025
Diga-Talk Solutions is excited to showcase its latest innovations at the International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE) in Las Vegas, March 19-20, 2025. Attendees can visit Booth #247 to experience firsthand how Diga-Talk Solutions is redefining digital communications with its advanced PoC technology, AI-powered analytics, and seamless nationwide connectivity. Industry professionals are encouraged to stop by and explore how these solutions can enhance their communication strategies.
Diga-Talk Solutions remains committed to delivering superior digital communication solutions to businesses across industries. This rebranding reflects the company’s forward-thinking approach and ongoing mission to keep teams connected, no matter where they operate.
For more information about Diga-Talk Solutions and its enhanced services, visit www.digatalksolutions.com.
About Diga-Talk Solutions
Founded in 1996 as A Beep, LLC, the company has grown into a leader in digital two-way communications. Since 2017, its Diga-Talk Plus brand has provided advanced Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) solutions, helping businesses streamline communication with nationwide coverage. Now, as Diga-Talk Solutions, the company continues to innovate, offering next-generation communication tools designed for reliability, efficiency, and nationwide connectivity.
LISLE, Ill. – International Motors, LLC (International) and IC Bus, LLC (IC Bus) are proud to announce that First Light Illuminated School Bus Signs (ISBS) and Fully Illuminated Stop Arms (FISA) are now standard on the Next Generational IC Bus Electric CE Series School Buses.
Effective immediately, the ISBS and FISA options are available for factory install on all IC Bus school bus models currently on order and will be standard on all new Electric CE Series school bus orders moving forward. That standard position will expand to internal combustion engine CE Series unit orders in August 2025.
These First Light products provide uncompromised visibility, assisting IC Bus in its efforts to offer innovative features that lead to safer bus stops. Adding these First Light products to the existing standard safety systems and technologies provides another valuable tool for customers who own and operate IC Bus vehicles throughout North America.
“Safely transporting the children of our communities is a responsibility that IC Bus takes incredibly seriously. When IC Bus introduced the Next Generation of the CE Series in July 2023, it was clear that safety was our number one priority,” said Charles Chilton, Vice President and General Manager of IC Bus. “The improved driver visibility and dash-integrated safety systems were just a step in the journey. Making these First Light products standard equipment was a natural progression, considering their visibility impacts.”
First Light’s ISBS and FISA products have proven to greatly reduce stop arm violations by enhancing motorists’ recognition and reaction times as they approach a stopped school bus. Both the ISBS and FISA are visible beyond 1,000 feet and readable beyond 300 feet, giving oncoming motorists additional visibility and time to stop appropriately.
About International:
Based in Lisle, Illinois, International Motors, LLC* creates solutions that deliver greater uptime and productivity to our customers throughout the full operation of our commercial vehicles. We build International trucks and engines and IC Bus school and commercial buses that are as tough and as smart as the people who drive them. We also develop Fleetrite aftermarket parts. In everything we do, our vision is to accelerate the impact of sustainable mobility to create the cleaner, safer world we all deserve. As of 2021, we joined Scania, MAN and Volkswagen Truck & Bus in TRATON GROUP, a global champion of the truck and transport services industry. To learn more, visit www.International.com.
*International Motors, LLC is d/b/a International Motors USA LLC in Illinois, Ohio, and Utah.
A 14-year-old boy with special needs is safe after a school bus driver found him wandering the streets during cold temperatures, reported ABC 7.
The incident reportedly took place on Feb. 18, when Trey Briggs woke up and found all the doors of her family’s apartment open and her son, Urijah Heard, missing.
According to the news report, Heard is non-verbal. Temperatures that day were below zero and he was only wearing a t-shirt and underwear.
Briggs reportedly contacted the Wheeling Police Department and was told that officers had already been contacted by a passing school bus driver who saw Heard wandering and returned to pick him up.
“The fact that he [the school bus driver] stopped and put him on the bus is amazing to me. A miracle to me,” Briggs told local news reporters.
Police were able to identify Heard almost immediately because the teen had just been registered in a program started in 2022 by Wheeling Police Sgt. Richard Giltner called “Return Home Safe.” The database includes children with special needs, identified with photos and information submitted by their parents, for situations similar to this one.
According to local news reporters, the bus driver, Freddy Leon, did not want to comment on the matter. However, Heard’s mother is grateful for his act of kindness. The police department is planning to honor Leon for his actions later this month.
Dr. Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat recognizes that every student’s schedule is different and should offer flexible options to ensure no student gets left behind. It often falls on transportation to provide access to those resources.
This adds up to 19 different bell schedules at Peoria Public Schools in Illinois that transportation must accommodate. Joshua Collins, director of transportation and fleet services for the district, likened a bell schedule to an individual student schedule, 19 throughout the day from morning to afternoon to evening. In addition to home-to-school, Collins said Peoria transports students to vocational schools, CTE programs, pre-k programs and half-day, pre-k, as well as various other programs for students with special needs, which could be full-day or half-day programs.
Peoria Public Schools: At a glance
School bus drivers: 106
Routes: 82
Student’s transported: 6,500
Route miles traveled yearly: 1.5 million
“We are busy, and then you throw field trips on top of that, and athletics on top of that,” Collins said. “The need is there. [The students are] important. It’s worth the sacrifice. It’s worth the effort to try to figure it out. Because especially the students we have, they need these programs. And at the end of the day, I keep that in mind, that this is not for my comfort, it’s for our kids.”
Kherat, who’s going on her 10th year as superintendent at Peoria, said she recognizes the work transportation does for the success of the students and how it aligns with Peoria’s five-year strategic plan, which concludes in 2026. However, she noted that the plan “is a reimagined education that ignites passion and empowers students to be responsible and successful.”
Dr. Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat, superintendent at Peoria Public Schools in Illinois, is a 2025 finalist for the AASA National Superintendent of the Year award.
“We wanted to really be bold and move away from the one-size-fits-all sort of programming,” she explained, adding that transportation plays a huge role. “Josh and I talk very regularly. What I like about him, no matter how challenging, it might be a difficult ask but he will do everything in his power to really make it happen and squeeze it in. And that’s part of our success, really. We will not continue to thrive on this traditional schedule.”
She noted the district also has options for students who have jobs or attend trauma-based programs, in total offering about 15 different alternative options.
“Thinking outside the box and providing lots of opportunities and options for students,” she said of district goals. “We have an international baccalaureate program for students from all over the city. We have a middle school gifted program that is one of the top schools in the state of Illinois. They pull kids from all over the city.”
Collins noted he has drivers start as early as 5 a.m. to transport students protected under the McKinney-Vento Homelessness Assistance Act, and some drivers who are working till 11 p.m. on field and athletic trips. All of this is accomplished fully staffed.
Collins said to combat a personnel shortage, Peoria invested in the school bus drivers and monitors, making their salaries competitive for the next three to four years. Over the past couple years, Peoria increased its driver pay by almost $10, with starting wages at around $26 an hour next year.
Ahead of the 2025 Superintendent of the Year being named on March 6 at the National Conference on Education in New Orleans, Louisiana, School Transportation News sat down with those in charge of transportation operations at the respective districts to gain a better understanding of how the services function. The Superintendent of the Year Award is sponsored by AASA: The School Superintendents Association along with Corebridge Financial and Sourcewell to celebrate contributions and leadership of public-school superintendents.
This year’s four finalists were selected from 49 state superintendent award winners (Hawaii was not included — STN reached out to AASA to confirm why) and were judged based on their exhibited leadership for learning, communication, professionalism and community involvement.
A $10,000 college scholarship will be presented in the name of the 2025 National Superintendent of the Year to a student at a high school the winning superintendent graduated from or from the school district the winner now leads.
Transportation also partnered with a local advertising agency. “It was just so difficult to try to do everything that you do and manage all of these different advertising opportunities,” he said.
Collins’ staff and the agency collaborated on a QR code that takes potential applicants to an online landing page for a pre-screening questionnaire.
The true challenge for Peoria has been a shortage of vehicles. Kherat said she is in the process of asking the school board for money to purchase new school buses, as prior to 2020 the most recent orders were in 2009 and then again in 2015 due to budget constraints. The district is now trying to get caught up on its replacement cycle, and over the past five years have replaced nearly 80 buses. This year, the school board received a request for $3 million to purchase 34 buses, but the final amount approved was about half that. In addition to the increased district programming discussed above, Kherat said the district needed the buses due to the increase in students, schools and routes.
“It’s a good place to be,” she said of district growth. “We just need folks who are willing to have that elastic mindset as well as the mindset around doing the work differently. … In order to continue to thrive and ensure that our kids are well positioned for success in society and in the workforce, we have to think outside the box for them.”
Creating Culture from the Top Down
Kherat said the culture at Peoria is focused on being collaborative and collective. She noted success hinges on listening to the needs of departments, getting feedback, and making adjustments.
One way to foster culture, she said, is through recognition to boost district morale. She noted that Collins mirrors and replicates in transportation what’s happening on national and district-wide levels. For example, Collins said he celebrates Black History Month this month and Women’s History Month in March.
“It’s one thing to recruit, but you have to retain, if you’re not keeping the people that you’re recruiting, then you just end up recruiting all the time,” he explained. “Then you can’t [fully] train them, so you’re always just doing level one training, because that’s all you can do because you’re constantly turning over new people.”
He explained that celebrating cultures is one way to focus on the employees and show appreciation. “I like to celebrate our diversity,” he added. “We have a lot of different people here, a lot of different folks that represent a lot of different mindsets and a lot of different ways that they approach transportation. So, we try to celebrate that, we try to celebrate who our folks are and what they represent.”
Kherat added that retention isn’t all about the money, but instead who people work for.
“People don’t quit their jobs,” she said. “I think they quit their people.”
Breaking Down Initiatives
Because retention is important, not just in transportation but district-wide, Kherat said she focuses on employee interviews to learn what’s working and what isn’t. She said getting this information helps her administration know what will keep teachers on staff. She noted that when she joined the district in 2015, teacher retention was at 78 percent, last year it increased to 88 percent. Kherat said she would like to see that number in the 90s.
She noted another way to keep staff is by allowing people to serve the district in non-teacher positions, without certifications, with the goal of eventually getting their license, paid for by the district. The only requirement is to sign a promissory note that they will remain at the district for three years. The same model can work with school bus drivers.
Another initiative Kherat mentioned was the district’s incorporation of electric school buses, with the goal of having a 20 percent EV fleet with its first purchase. Infrastructure updates at the transportation facility have already begun. The district received a grant from the EPA Clean School Bus Program of about $5.9 million for 15 electric school buses. Despite the Trump administration’s attempt to freeze program funding, sources indicated it will continue unfettered. But when remains a question, as many grantees from across the country have yet to see the funds flow. Meanwhile, the district is contributing $4.5 million for infrastructure and another four electric school buses with wheelchair capability.
“From a point of view of environmental impact, they are going to be better locally than some of the diesel vehicles, especially some of the older ones that we’ve been running,” Kherat said.
Additionally, she noted the district is installing solar panels on the roofs of high schools to offset utility costs and serve as a backup power generation.
She noted that in January the district rolled out a new bus app that allows parents to communicate with transportation and view routes and bus information more effectively. Additionally, transportation is migrating its routing software.
Building a Relationship
Collins noted that Dr. Kherat is relentless, which is exactly what the district needs.
“If you do a little bit of research about Peoria, Illinois, what you will find is we have a Zip code that is one of the most impoverished in the state,” he said, adding maybe even across the nation. “Poverty leads to a lot of social and economic issues, and we need somebody who is relentless, who will push, push, push, push because that’s what these children need. If we want to break this cycle of poverty … if we want to stop what’s going on in our community, we have to educate our children.”
He noted that even after accomplishing one task, she doesn’t stop there.
“It keeps you moving and keeps it going,” he explained. “I hate to say it this way, but nothing’s ever good enough, and it shouldn’t ever be good enough for the kids. And I appreciate that, and I that is a tremendous asset I think that the district has.”
Dr. Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat has lived in Peoria, Illinois, for over 40 years. She first arrived as a teenager from St Croix, Virgin Islands to attend Bradley University and ended up staying. She said she built her entire career out of the city, serving in various educational roles.
“I just love people,” she said. “I have a lot of educators in my family. I did not originally set off to get into education. I had a different major but somehow ended up in West Lake Hall, which is the building at Bradley University that provides a lot of support and guidance to education majors, and did my student teaching and student observation all in Peoria Public Schools.
“We talk about this work and life, it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and that’s what we’re experiencing every day,” she continued. “This work is all about making a difference and fighting for the children and understanding that everyone can thrive with the right supports and resources.”
She said when she was named the state superintendent of the year and a finalist for the national honor, she didn’t believe it was real.
“It’s humbling,” she said, adding that she’s not taking the recognition for granted. “I’m just the face. It’s the work of PPS, everybody in Peoria Public Schools, from the board down to the community as well.”
In terms of transportation, he said it’s critical to have a good relationship with the district administration .
“The administration has to trust you, you need to really have that relationship where you can go to administration and say, this is what you need, or this is a situation, or and trust that you know you’re not trying to hide something or you’re not trying to cover something up,” she said. “Trust to know that you’re going to handle situations.”
Collins said transportation provides more than trips. “Transportation deals with logistics,” he explained. “There are logistical problems throughout the district that a good transportation department can be a part of to help navigate and or solve. But you have to have that trust there.”
His advice to other transportation directors is to get involved at the district level. “If you’re not in the cabinet, get yourself in cabinet. If there’s a meeting coming up about curriculum, just be the fly on the wall. Learn everything that you can through all those meetings,” he noted.
Sooner or later, he said the director can start raising their hand and offering solutions, and how transportation can help.
“And then then you are viewed as more of a resource than just getting the kids to school, he added.
Kherat agreed, noting that without transportation, many children wouldn’t have access to education.
“It’s integral to a smooth operation of a school district,” she said. “We need to have a well-functioning transportation department that helps provide equal opportunity to all of our children, no matter where they live.”
She added that her departments are all on the same page.
“We have an indomitable spirit about us that we may be knocked down, but we get up and we keep plugging away,” said Kherat, who considers herself a servant-leader. “And that’s pretty much everybody on the team, just ensuring that every kid has a fighting chance for a good life, whether it’s through traditional or through unorthodox [education].”
A Joliet-area school district in Illinois was forced to move classes online after its school buses were vandalized, reported ABC 7.
The incident reportedly occurred on Monday, when vandals targeted a school bus parking lot and stole catalytic converters from multiple school buses.
According to the news report, Joliet police said officers responded to the Troy Communitiy Consolidate School District 30-C transportation lot after reports of catalytic converter thefts. An investigation found the emissions reduction equipment was cut from 30 district buses between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. that day.
Police added that the suspected vehicle involved is a dark–colored SUV that was seen in the area.
Officials from Troy 30-C said the theft affected more than 80 percent of the bus fleet, rendering the vehicles inoperable. As a result, the district had to switch to e-learning and was working to get the buses fixed as quickly as possible. Attempts to get enough donated school buses from nearby school districts proved unsuccessful at this report.
It was unclear how long e-learning classes would need to replace in-person learning.
Joliet police and the Tri County Auto Theft Task Force are reportedly leading the investigation into the thefts and working closely with the district.
As long-distance transmission line capacity emerges as a bottleneck for Illinois’ clean energy transition, state lawmakers and advocates are drafting legislation to establish state incentives for power line projects.
One proposal under consideration would allow independent transmission developers to access subsidies through the state’s Renewable Energy Credit (RECs) program, the same mechanism that has fueled the state’s solar boom.
“Merchant transmission developers are essentially building a road — generators pay to put their electricity on that road and send it to customers,” said James Gignac, Midwest senior policy manager for the Union of Concerned Scientists, a member of the coalition working with legislators on an energy bill building on 2017’s Climate & Equitable Jobs Act, or CEJA.
The Illinois legislation being prepared for this spring’s session would create another source of revenue for such projects, lowering the cost burden on wind and solar developers looking for a more direct route to power customers. Unlike projects funded by utility ratepayers, merchant lines do not need to go through the lengthy planning and financing process overseen by regional grid operators such as MISO and PJM.
“These [high voltage, direct current] lines can serve a different purpose,” Gignac said. “It’s an overlay or additional feature of the transmission system. They can provide important benefits that supplement the [regional transmission organization] plan.”
A regional need
CEJA mandates that almost all of the state’s fossil fuel generation cease by 2045. Especially with the boom in data centers, some are worried Illinois won’t be able to meet its energy needs with renewables and nuclear if coal and gas plants close.
“Transmission is a huge part of the equation, it will be important in helping us take inefficient coal and gas plants off-line, and it will help bring on extraordinary amounts of clean energy,” said Christine Nannicelli, Sierra Club Beyond Coal senior campaign representative.
In December, MISO, which manages the grid for most of Illinois and a large part of the central U.S. spanning from the Dakotas to the Gulf Coast, approved a batch of 24 long-distance transmission projects on top of 18 interregional transmission lines approved in 2022. But these lines will likely take a decade or more to build, given lengthy bureaucratic processes.
Merchant lines can be constructed much more quickly, as they do not need to be studied and deemed necessary through the regional transmission organization process. They just need to be interconnected to the regional grid system, as well as receive certain approvals in the states they pass through. Illinois advocates have also proposed that legislation designate merchant lines as public utilities, giving them an easier path to eminent domain powers.
Merchant lines including the Grain Belt Express, which would stretch from Kansas through Missouri to the Illinois-Indiana border, have faced opposition from landowners concerned about the routes and eminent domain. Merchant lines also introduce competition for utility companies, which have pushed for legislation in various states to limit such competition.
Some advocates argue competition can be good for ratepayers and the environment. Merchant lines could bring renewable power into Illinois from other states, and also make it easier for new renewables to be built in Illinois and connected to the grid. There can be long delays for new wind and solar farms to get approval to be connected to the MISO grid. These renewables could connect to merchant lines without delay.
Grain Belt Express developer Invenergy, based in Chicago, is among the backers of a transmission incentive bill.
Another merchant transmission line seeking to deliver power to Illinois is SOO Green, a proposed 350-mile underground cable between Iowa and Illinois following a railroad right-of-way.
Both projects would facilitate sharing power between MISO and PJM grids, a necessity especially as extreme weather events increase, experts say. Last May, the twoorganizations for the first time agreed to coordinate on their long-range planning,
The Clean Grid Alliance, a national organization, advocates for grid expansion both through the regional transmission organizations’ planning processes, and through merchant lines. The alliance supported a proposal during the last Illinois legislative session that would have created RECs for merchant transmission. Clean Grid Alliance vice president of advocacy Jeff Danielson said he does not know of any other states that have created RECs for this purpose.
“We encourage states to help in any way possible to get the electric interstate superhighway built,” said Danielson. “It really is up to the states to secure their own economic future around a resilient and commerce-friendly grid. Whether it’s a REC concept, direct power purchase agreements, permitting reform, we encourage all of it. We literally need to build the transmission everywhere all at once.”
Financial lift
Since projects like Grain Belt Express and SOO Green cover multiple states, it may seem unfair for one state to carry more of the financial burden by offering subsidies. But Danielson said that may be necessary to tip the balance and make sure transmission gets built; and other states should follow Illinois’s lead.
“There’s the idea it will just get built,” without state action, Danielson said. “But it won’t, it hasn’t. Merchant lines are incredibly difficult to build. A governor has to understand the value to his state, his colleagues in other states have to understand this is what’s going to drive economic growth. Every time they’re in a meeting they should be saying, ‘We have to get to yes.’ It’s a shared opportunity and shared responsibility.”
A March 2024 study by the Illinois Power Agency estimated that credits for the SOO Green line would cost ratepayers $430 million per year, while reducing utility bills to save them $178 million per year. The line would also add $414 million in economic benefit to the state’s economy, the agency found.
The Laborers’ International Union of North America is among the labor unions supporting a transmission-incentives bill. The union’s Midwest governmental affairs director, Sean Stott, noted that Invenergy’s Grain Belt Express, for example, is projected to create 1,500 construction jobs in central Illinois.
“They’ve made a commitment to employing residents of central Illinois to do that work, including members of the Laborers union,” he said. “Any time you do that, you’ll have money in the pockets of workers. It would definitely generate a significant amount of economic activity in the local community.”
He doesn’t think union members would resent the additional charges on electric bills to fund transmission incentives.
“There are no free lunches in life, there would be a small charge, however they would receive by virtue of an influx of lower-cost power, downward pressure on their electric bills,” he said.
The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association also supports such legislation.
“We’ve seen warnings for the last couple years both in PJM and MISO of potential brown-outs,” said association president Mark Denzler. “When there are challenges, the first folks they ask to reduce load are industries. Transmission projects are one place where the state has the ability to work on making sure we have reliability.”
The legislation might also include a component known as “next generation highways,” allowing transmission lines to be co-located with highways, a situation currently prohibited under Illinois law. Minnesota last year passed similar legislation.
“We want to at least allow utilities the option to consider that,” said Gignac. “It’s something states can do, allowing some flexibility in the location of transmission lines.”
Danielson framed the relationship to highways as symbolic on a larger level.
“We have never thought about our grid in an integrated interstate commerce way like we thought about the highway system in the 1950s, and we really need to,” he said. “Because resilience to weather events and connecting economies through clean energy and 24-7 internet commerce are going to be the reasons Midwest states and the U.S. in general are going to be an economic leader in the future.”
The last time President Donald Trump took office, Illinois had just passed the Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA), creating an ambitious renewable electricity mandate, solar incentive programs, green job training and equity provisions to propel the state’s clean energy economy.
That progress is offering both a blueprint and a source of hope for Illinois clean energy and environmental justice advocates as they try to keep the state’s clean energy transition on track during a second Trump presidency.
“The state policy is designed to be responsive to a lack of federal climate leadership, to the need for Illinois to step up into a position of climate leadership,” said Vote Solar deputy Midwest program director John Delurey, who added that since the 2024 election “I’m at the point where I can channel my existential dread into state-based action.”
Illinois lawmakers expanded on FEJA with the Climate & Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) in 2021, and advocates expect another state energy bill in 2025 to prioritize energy storage and otherwise further clean energy goals, including planning for the mandatory closing of almost all fossil fuel generation by 2035.
“With CEJA we’ve mapped out an ambitious climate plan, and we’re in a strong position to further those goals even under a Trump administration,” said Madeline Semanisin, Midwest equitable building decarbonization advocate for the Natural Resources Defense Council. “This is not the first Trump administration. States and cities are more prepared this time to accelerate initiatives at the state and city level.”
That’s not to say the state won’t be affected by a president who is hostile toward clean energy policy. Several federal tax credits and grants that have helped accelerate progress in Illinois could be at risk under Trump, and a rollback of federal environmental regulations or enforcement could prolong pollution from coal ash, power plants and other sources.
James Gignac, Union of Concerned Scientists lead Midwest senior policy manager for the Climate & Energy program, said he thinks of the state’s clean energy outlook in terms of headwinds and tailwinds, which will continue to shift based on economic and political factors beyond the state’s control.
“States for many years have not been able to rely on the federal government for climate action, whether due to politics or the Supreme Court,” Gignac said. “The election results will make it harder to achieve the goals that Illinois has established. It doesn’t fundamentally change the energy policy path that the state is on, it just makes it even more urgent that state legislators pass additional policies.”
Tax credits and grants
Federal funds from the Inflation Reduction Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other federal programs have helped Illinois and individual cities and counties carry out their clean energy goals. Illinois was awarded more than $430 million in a Climate Pollution Reduction Grant for implementation of the state’s goals on industrial decarbonization, clean energy, clean transportation and freight, climate-smart agriculture, and building energy efficiency.
Illinois was also awarded $156 million in federal Solar for All funds to bolster solar and equity goals including workforce training, residential solar deployment, and community engagement.
Illinois advocates and experts said they expect federal funds that have already been awarded to be paid out, and they don’t expect the Trump administration and Republican-dominated Congress to make major changes to the IRA or infrastructure law, especially given the financial impact those laws have had in Republican-dominated areas.
“We have seen hundreds of thousands of dollars for small businesses and farmers” paid out through the federal Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), not to mention federal IRA funds, that “overall are benefitting Republican districts” during the Biden administration, noted Angela Xu, Illinois Environmental Council municipal engagement manager.
Even if new federal funding windfalls are not available in the future, advocates say the funds awarded during the Biden administration will have lasting impact, combined with state-level programs and funding sources that will continue, and market forces that are making clean energy increasingly competitive.
“President-elect Trump has indicated his intention to roll back IRA programs, but keep in mind that when President Trump was elected last time, he and the Republican-led Senate and House were hellbent publicly on rolling back Obamacare, and that didn’t happen,” said Environmental Law & Policy Center executive director Howard Learner.
“The IRA has supported smart, sensible renewable energy development in red states and blue and purple states,” he added. “There’s no question if President Trump tries to cut back and constrain the IRA, it will have some impact on the pace of renewable energy development and other climate change solutions. On the other hand, it’s very hard to keep better technology from growing. When new technologies come to the market and they are better and cleaner and economically sensible, they tend to accelerate and capture more market share.”
Illinois Shines, the program creating lucrative Renewable Energy Credits for distributed solar, is funded through ratepayer payments — so it is not dependent on federal funding. That doesn’t mean it is immune from federal action, since the federal Investment Tax Credit and the global solar market influence the viability of projects in Illinois.
“There are levers they can pull, through an act of Congress they can change the ITC, which is an important part of the value stack for renewables,” said Delurey, of Trump and his allies in Congress. “And they could deploy tariffs which make the landscape a lot more complicated. The U.S., thanks to the IRA, is making its way towards onshoring and bringing a lot of manufacturing back stateside, but we’re not quite there yet.”
If the tax credit is reduced or solar panels get more expensive because of tariffs, Illinois’s incentives “would probably have to be adjusted accordingly,” Delurey said, with bigger incentives for each project.
“It would just mean fewer megawatts and kilowatts in Illinois. We’d still be deploying solar, but it is sensitive to the price of clean energy.”
Environmental justice
Advocates agree that the Biden administration’s Justice 40 mandate, that 40% of the benefits of many federal climate and other programs go to disadvantaged communities, is likely to be ended or ignored by the Trump administration.
Lower-income and marginalized communities could also be affected by understaffing, delays or rollbacks in federal programs like LIHEAP, which provides energy bill assistance, and energy efficiency rebates for low-income households.
“We can put things in state legislation that supports these communities,” including in the Illinois energy bill being drafted for introduction in 2025, Semanisin said. “Justice 40 is a framework we can incorporate in state legislation as well, to prioritize people who have been historically underserved.”
During his first administration, Trump made significant rollbacks to coal plant wastewater protections, and to the 2015 federal rules governing the storage and cleanup of coal ash. Both are big issues in Illinois, where eight coal plants are still operating, and coal ash is stored in 76 ponds, landfills and other sites, according to an Earthjustice analysis.
Earthjustice senior attorney Jenny Cassel said experts anticipate Trump will again try to weaken the Clean Water Act and coal ash protections. Meanwhile it’s likely the EPA under his administration will do little to enforce the coal ash regulations, which was largely the case before the Biden administration made coal ash a priority.
Illinois passed its own state coal ash rules in 2019, after lobbying by activists who wanted to make sure the rules were at least as strong as federal rules and covered legacy ponds not included in federal rules at the time. In 2024, the federal rules were expanded to cover legacy ponds as well as historic ash and coal ash landfills, but that provision is being challenged in federal court. The state rules do not cover ash historically dumped or scattered around, and they also do not cover inactive coal ash landfills.
Meanwhile the implementation of the Illinois coal ash law has been extremely slow. The law requires each site to get an operating permit with pollution limits that can then be enforced, but so far only two permits at one coal plant site have been issued, Cassel said.
“We keep hearing excuse after excuse” from the Illinois EPA that issues the permits, Cassel said. “‘We don’t have enough people, they’re tied up in administrative hearings, conditions are changing,’ every dog-ate-my-homework excuse in the book.”
“At the federal level, there’s any number of potential ways they could attempt to roll back the [coal ash] rules, or weaken areas that haven’t been fully defined,” she added. “That’s certainly what they did in round one. Illinois will really have to step up into the vacuum of protectiveness we expect at the federal level.”
Local action
Chicago — site of the 2024 Democratic National Convention — has long been a target of Trump’s ire, and Chicago officials during his last administration and today are outspoken about countering Trump’s agenda.
Chief Sustainability Officer Angela Tovar said the city will continue its work on solar, electric vehicles and building decarbonization, as well as centering environmental justice in planning, zoning and enforcement decisions.
“So much of everyone’s local regulations hinge on things like the Clean Air Act and federal standards; there is going to be this question of federal preemption, what home-rule authority do we have?” Tovar said. “Those are still outstanding questions. Every rollback will present its own set of challenges for cities and states. What I am at least grateful for in being in the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago is we do have such robust climate leadership at the state and local level.”
The city’s environmental justice ordinance requires a holistic look at pollution — from traffic and other sources — when industrial development is proposed. That could help protect communities even if federal pollution limits are relaxed. The city has also launched an interdepartmental environmental justice working group, involving “every department that touches air, land and water,” as Tovar said.
The city program Green Homes Chicago funds energy efficiency upgrades for qualifying single- and multi-family homes, which could help fill the gap if federal home rebates are reduced, Tovar noted. Chicago Recovery Plan funding from federal pandemic relief and city bond issuances could help compensate for any funding that might be lost if IRA is undermined, she added.
“The role of cities and states becomes even increasingly more important right now,” Tovar said. “We have an ability to really demonstrate leadership in this moment. For cities like Chicago that have already made some progress, it’s up to us to ensure we’re sharing best practices and working together to really create those safeguards and fortify basic environmental and health protections at a local level. We’re certainly going to maintain our commitment, make sure we are rolling out our programs, and unwavering in our pursuit of environmental justice.”
Two community-based geothermal pilot projects, each led by equity-focused nonprofits, have advanced to the second phase of funding through a U.S. Department of Energy program.
Blacks in Green, a community organization based in Chicago, and Home Energy Efficiency Team, a Boston-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting an equitable transition to clean energy, were included last week in a set of five projects across the country that have been awarded a total of more than $35 million from the DOE’s Geothermal Technologies Office to implement geothermal installations.
The five project teams advancing to the next phase of the DOE project were among a cohort of 11 projects participating in the initial phase of the program, where coalitions selected project sites, assessed geothermal resource and permitting needs, conducted feasibility analysis and local engagement, and identified workforce and training needs. The selected projects’ range of sizes, technologies, and innovations will provide potential templates for other communities considering implementing geothermal systems.
Three of the five projects are located in urban or suburban areas; two are in rural communities. The other three recipients are the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan; the University of Oklahoma, for a project in the town of Shawnee; and GTI Energy, for a project in Hinesburg, Vermont.
Tapping into Chicago’s alleys
Blacks in Green, located in West Woodlawn, a predominantly Black community on Chicago’s South Side, serves as the lead for a coalition which was awarded $9.9 million for its Sustainable Chicago Geothermal pilot. Other coalition partners are the City of Chicago, University of Illinois, The Accelerate Group, Citizens Utility Board, Climate Jobs Illinois, dbHMS, GeoExchange, and Illinois AFL-CIO.
The pilot, also located in West Woodlawn, utilizes alleys to circumvent the need for vast open plots for subterranean loop fields that form the heart of a geothermal array. Locating the bulk of geothermal loop lines in alleyways also sidesteps the underground congestion of existing utility infrastructure typically located underneath city streets.
It’s among an assortment of elements in the Sustainable Square Mile approach that advances BIG’s vision for energy justice through clean energy and microgrid/VPP systems owned and managed by the community, said Naomi Davis, BIG’s founder and CEO.
“BIG launched in 2007 with a goal of increasing household income and community resilience against the harms of climate crisis at neighborhood scale using the new green economy — so we’re grateful for this chance to make it manifest,” Davis said in a news release.
Along with installation of the needed infrastructure within the multiblock footprint, year two of the West Woodlawn project will focus on community outreach and job programs. Once construction is complete, the geothermal system will provide heating and cooling, not to mention lower utility bills, for potentially more than 200 households.
“The Sustainable Chicago Geothermal project will be a transformational investment in the West Woodlawn community. The effort to eliminate harmful emissions from homes and businesses, while lowering energy burden, has proven to be a community-wide challenge, and requires a community-wide solution,” said Andrew Barbeau, president of The Accelerate Group and principal investigator of the Blacks in Green project, in a news release.
The need to reconstruct the alleyways after installation of the geothermal array also presents the opportunity to replace asphalt or concrete with permeable pavers. This would work to promote climate resiliency through mitigation of urban flooding, a persistent occurrence in many of Chicago’s South and West Side communities, said Nuri Madina, the director of Sustainable Square Mile, who serves as point person for the pilot.
“All of our programs are designed to create multiple benefits,” Madina told the Energy News Network in September.
A first-of-its kind project in suburban Boston
Home Energy Efficiency Team, commonly referred to by the acronym HEET, in partnership with Eversource Energy; the city of Framingham, Massachusetts; and engineering consultant Salas O’Brien; was awarded $7.8 million toward construction of a utility-based,community-scale geothermal system.
“We are honored to receive this funding from the DOE’s Geothermal Technologies Office as part of the Community Geothermal Heating and Cooling initiative, and to show how geothermal energy networks can be interconnected to increase efficiency, build resilience, and decarbonize at the scale and speed we need to achieve our climate goals,” said Zeyneb Magavi, executive director for HEET, in a news release.
The proposed plans by HEET and its partners would connect to the first Framingham geothermal network, which was commissioned earlier this year. Once approved by the state Department of Public Utilities and upon completion, it would represent the first utility-owned community geothermal network to connect to an adjacent operational loop, establishing guidelines for the interconnection and growth of geothermal networks.
“This innovative project not only showcases Framingham’s commitment to sustainable energy solutions but also sets a precedent for other communities across the nation. By harnessing the natural heat from the earth, we are taking a significant step towards reducing our carbon footprint and promoting renewable energy sources. Our collaboration with HEET and Eversource exemplifies the power of partnerships in driving forward clean energy initiatives,” said Framingham Mayor Charlie Sisitsky in a news release.
“So instead of feeding natural gas into these buildings, we could feed geothermal water,” Magavi said. “And then we could meter that and sell that. It’s no different than when you pay your water bill.”
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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