The Federal Transit Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation has issued a $1 million Notice of Funding Opportunity to any entity willing to develop guidelines for exportable power systems from electric buses.
According to an April 12 news release, the Bus Exportable Power Systems Program is the DOT's first attempt to improve disaster resilience for cities across the country by repurposing electric buses into transportable power generators. The energy generated by these vehicles would be utilized to power community facilities, emergency shelters and hospitals in the event of a power outage.
"Communities and states often need options for generating power immediately after natural disasters," FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez said in the release, "Under this program, we will advance the development of standards for exportable power systems so that communities can take advantage of the power stored by high-tech transit buses to keep the lights on during natural disasters and other emergencies."
The $1 million investment is part of the White House's ongoing effort to strengthen the country's infrastructure, including its resilience to natural disasters, according to the release. Congress included the BEPS program in the 2021 Appropriations Act as a method to support cities and states during crises and natural disasters.
Any organization wishing to apply for funding to establish these exportable power system standards must do so by June 13.
