House Energy Committee hold public hearing on benefits of electric school buses

Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus    October 29, 2025 | 2:56 PM

HARRISBURG, Oct. 29 – Today, the PA House Energy Committee held a public hearing on legislation (H.B. 1539) that would create a grant program to help schools transition to electric school buses.

The benefits of deploying ESB fleets include reduced costs of ownership and operation, fuel costs savings, maintenance costs savings, and public health benefits. However, the up-front costs associated with ESB fleets have been prohibitive for many Pennsylvania school districts.

“I am always interested in creative solutions to energy problems, and electric school buses can solve a lot at once, helping schools cut costs and making our air cleaner at the same time,” said state Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, majority chair of the House Energy Committee. "This grant program could be transformative for schools.”

State Rep. Dave Madsen, D-Dauphin, attended the hearing. Madsen represents Steelton-Highspire School District, which boasts an all-EV school bus fleet.

"Investing in electric school buses is an investment in our students’ health,” said Madsen. “The grant program proposed in H.B.1539 helps districts replace aging fleets and lowers long-term operating costs. It also supports job growth by expanding charging infrastructure and strengthens transportation equity across Pennsylvania."

At the hearing, the committee heard from Celia Kosinski, policy manager at Electrification Coalition; Chris D’Agostino, principal at Advanced Energy United; and Willie Slade, interim superintendent of Steelton-Highspire School District.

The public hearing can be viewed here. The bill will need to approved in committee before it can be considered by the full PA House.