Full Title: V2X Implementation Guide: Implementation Guide and Mutual Aid Agreement Template for Using Vehicle-to-Everything-Enabled Electric School Buses as Mobile Power Units to Enhance Resilience During Emergencies
Author(s): Electrification Coalition
Publisher(s): Electrification Coalition, Securing America's Future Energy (SAFE)
Publication Date: January 24, 2023
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
Electric school buses (ESBs) equipped with Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), or bidirectional charging capability, can serve as “mobile power units” to provide backup power to emergency shelters and other critical facilities, enhancing much-needed infrastructure resilience and aiding in emergency planning, preparedness, and response efforts. Given that underserved communities often are hit the hardest by extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, or wildfires, ESBs as mobile power units could be particularly useful in enhancing resilience in these areas.
This implementation guide (guide) describes the potential to use V2X-enabled ESBs as alternative emergency backup power sources during power outages. The core of this guide consists of detailed steps for emergency managers and responders and other key stakeholders, such as school districts, school facility managers, and electric utilities, to take before, during, and after an emergency to deploy bidirectionally-enabled ESBs to provide emergency backup power. The guide recommends that V2X-enabled ESBs ultimately become recognized resources within the federal National Incident Management System (NIMS) and integrated into emergency plans in accordance with the Incident Command System (ICS) to expand interest in, and accelerate deployment of, these technologies.