Harris County Metro – Sarah Kay – 2020

Goals

In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and regional air pollutants, the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (hereafter METRO) started an investigation into alternative bus technologies to replace their diesel bus fleet. EDF Climate Corps Fellow, Sarah Kay, researched zero emission bus technologies then synthesized information into a bus electrification plan.

Solutions

Ms. Kay created a bus electrification plan by identifying six major decision points METRO will need to address over the course of planning and implementation. The six decision points include identifying a zero-emission bus technology, a use case, a fueling model, a bus manufacturer, financial resources, and policy priorities. Ms. Kay crafted a roadmap with recommendations to inform each decision point by collecting information from internal and external reports and 30+ interviews with internal staff, transit agencies, government officials, electricity sector representatives, manufacturers, industry experts, and other stakeholders.

Impact

With the advancement of battery and fuel cell technology, electric buses are an increasingly competitive alternative to fossil fuel powered buses. By transitioning their bus fleet away from diesel and towards zero emission alternatives, METRO can simultaneously reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and improve local air quality. Competitive grants are imperative to procure zero emission buses and charging infrastructure.