Fergus Falls Public Schools and Ottertail Coaches to Benefit from Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Grant

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is distributing over $2.1 million in grants to five Minnesota school districts, including Fergus Falls, as part of an electric school bus pilot project.

This project supports cleaner vehicle technology and reducing air pollution, which plays a role in Minnesota’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by the year 2050.

According to Electric Vehicle Program Administrator with the MPCA, Rebecca Place, there were about 40 applicants for this project. Place explained that the state of Minnesota was divided into four zones (Northern Minnesota, Central Minnesota, Southern Minnesota and the Twin Cities Metro Area) and within the zones the buses were evaluated by being scored from highest to lowest based on a variety of factors. She said, “Fergus Falls/Ottertail Coaches was the highest scoring bus in the northern section of the state for all the buses that applied.”

Ottertail Coaches is receiving $270,623 in grant money as part of this project, which will help service one bus to the Fergus Falls Public Schools.

Vice President with Ottertail Coaches Mike Clark, explained that they started the application process for this project a little over a year ago. After being accepted, they have ordered a 2022 Thomas Built Bus, which is a 77 passenger school bus. He said, “We’re very excited to participate in the Electric Pilot School Bus Program…without this grant we would find it difficult to move into the future.” The bus is currently scheduled to arrive in the spring of 2022.

In exchange for the grant money, the grantees will be giving the MPCA quarterly data regarding these buses such as operation and performance, maintenance and energy use.

The grants will also be benefiting Fairbault Transportation Services Inc. (one bus to Fairbault Public Schools), Monarch Bus Service (one bus to St. Paul Public Schools or Columbia Heights Public Schools), Morris Area School District (servicing two buses in their district), and Northstar Bus Lines LLC. (servicing three buses in the Osseo Area Schools).

Learn more about the project here