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Electric buses in Glades County can help power communities during emergency outages

Officials say the buses could support schools, shelters, and more if the power goes out during a hurricane
GLADES ELECTRIC BUS MOD THUMBNAIL.jpg
Electric buses in Glades County can help power communities during emergency outages
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GLADES COUNTY, Fla. — The Glades County School District just announced how its electric school bus fleet can provide backup power during hurricane season.

Watch to hear what the district said about how the buses can help this hurricane season:

Electric buses in Glades County can help power communities during emergency outages

Highland Electric Fleets, who makes the buses, says they can act as mobile generators, cooling stations, or even send energy back to the grid to power essential services like schools, shelters, and community centers during a power outage.

The district says this emergency function could be key during hurricane season by giving communities a flexible tool if the power’s out. To show that in action, one bus was used to power a snow-cone machine for students at a community demonstration.

Electric bus powering snow cone machine
Electric bus powering snow cone machine

Glades County Schools first put these 13 electric buses on the road in January, replacing more than half its aging diesel fleet. Since then, the district says the buses have brought air conditioned rides to students for the first time, lowered running costs, and reduced emissions.

Now, they say they’re ready to help out the community if the lights go out.