Clean and Efficient Electric Buses Making Rounds in Worcester, Massachusetts

With the end of the month of March, the Worcester Regional Transit Authority took a bold step in environmentalism by introducing a fleet of fully-electric buses for mass transit. The changes to the transit system were praised by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick for proving the effectiveness of alternative, cleaner sources of fuel.

The buses individually cost more than one million dollars each, from a compilation of federal funds and matching state funds from MassDOT. A total of $7 million bought the WRTA six Proterra plug-in electric buses, which makes up the largest fleet of such vehicles in the United States of America. According to Governor Patrick, “We are committed to using innovative strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, bolster our energy independence and grow our clean energy economy.”

Though the initial investments are high for each bus, electric power will significantly reduce the fuel and operating costs associated with a mass transit bus system. Over the next 12 years, the electric buses are expected to save approximately $3 million in running costs.

However, finances are not the only cost that will be reduced. The environmental costs associated with running a fleet of diesel powered buses is normally quite substantial, but the Proterra buses will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 130 tons every year. In fact, these buses fit very nicely into The Clean Energy (News - Alert) and Climate Plan's goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by the year 2050. Coincidentally, this is around the same time that the cost savings from the buses will catch up to the initial investment.

As Governor Patrick said in an official statement, “The WRTA's new fleet is an example of how we are accelerating the adoption of cleaner vehicles throughout Massachusetts to reduce harmful pollutants and promote a more sustainable environment for future generations.” Hopefully, other cities will follow in their footsteps, or at least in their tire tracks.