PG&E, The Mobility House, and Fremont Unified School District Launch Innovative Vehicle-to-Grid Electric School Bus Program

Power Play: Electric School Buses Now Feeding Energy Back to California’s Grid.

OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 11, 2025 – In a move signaling a potential paradigm shift for grid resilience and clean energy, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has teamed up with Fremont Unified School District (FUSD) and The Mobility House to launch a cutting-edge vehicle-to-grid (V2G) electric school bus fleet. The project represents a significant stride towards electrifying transportation while simultaneously leveraging it to bolster the state’s power grid.

FUSD now boasts 22 EV chargers, comprised of 14 existing low-power units, six high-power bidirectional V2G DC fast chargers, and plans for two more high-power unidirectional chargers in 2026. This infrastructure empowers the district to manage its growing fleet of 14 electric school buses, a mix of Thomas Built and Blue Bird models.

The upgrade is set to replace six traditional combustion engine buses. Four new electric buses are already in service this year, with two more slated to join them in 2026.

“This project exemplifies how innovative thinking can forge a cleaner and more intelligent energy ecosystem,” stated Mike Delaney, Vice President, Utility Partnership and Innovation at PG&E. “We are dedicated to supporting Fremont USD and other school districts across California as they embrace superior, electrified student transportation.”

Smart Charging, Smarter Grid

Spearheaded by The Mobility House (TMH) under the California Energy Commission’s Replicable Vehicle-to-X Deployment Study (RVXDS), the initiative deploys TMH’s ChargePilot, an intelligent charge management platform that optimizes charging and discharging using open standards.

“Electric school buses, given their substantial batteries and predictable operational schedules, hold immense potential for V2G grid support,” noted Gregor Hintler, CEO North America of The Mobility House. “We are delighted to provide the technology that enables Fremont USD to operate cleanly, cost-effectively, and bolster the community’s energy resilience.”

Through ChargePilot, FUSD will actively participate in PG&E’s Emergency Load Reduction Program (ELRP) by responding to OpenADR signals. This transforms the bus fleet into a responsive grid asset which reinforces energy reliability during periods of peak demand. OpenADR is a widely used, open-standard communications model for Demand Response (DR) and Distributed Energy Resources (DER).

Powering the Future

To facilitate this evolution, PG&E has enhanced the site’s electrical backbone with:

A new 480 volt 3-phase service entrance (upgraded from 208V)
A 750 kVA transformer
Installation of a 2,500 Amp switchgear to handle current and projected charging demands

PG&E accelerated the project’s energization via a streamlined Rule 15/16 service upgrade, guaranteeing the site could accommodate the full suite of six V2G DC fast chargers. Rules 15 and 16 govern service line extensions in California. The site is also interconnected via Rule 21, enabling energy export and unlocking further revenue streams for the school district. Rule 21 dictates interconnection, operating, and metering requirements for generation facilities connecting to investor-owned utilities.

A Model for Replication

This is the second school district to join under PG&E’s commercial fleet Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) pilot program, coming after the successful deployment with Zum and Oakland Unified School District in 2024.

Fremont USD’s involvement in PG&E’s EV Fleet program since 2019 has paved the way for 17 electric school buses and 13 medium-duty electric vehicles. The program offers incentives for infrastructure and charging equipment.

Partners in Progress

This forward-looking project is a product of teamwork from:

The Mobility House
Polara
World Resources Institute
Center for Transportation and the Environment
PG&E

Together they are backing Fremont USD as it leads the charge toward a cleaner, more resilient energy grid. One electric school bus, one bidirectional charger, and one transformer at a time.

“We’ve already experienced the positive impact of electric school buses on our community’s air quality,” commented Ernest Epley, FUSD’s Director of Transportation. “Now, we have an unprecedented opportunity to harness these buses to deliver clean and reliable energy to the grid.”

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE: PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility. It serves more than sixteen million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com, pge.com/news and pge.com/innovation.