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Fremont Unified School District Launches Operational Vehicle-to-Grid Electric Bus Fleet

Fremont USD’s 14 electric buses with 22 chargers now supply power to PG&E’s grid during emergencies to validate a replicable V2G charging model.

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PG&E and The Mobility House have launched a groundbreaking vehicle-to-grid electric school bus fleet with Fremont Unified School District. Courtesy: Pacific Gas & Electric Company.

Overview

  • The site is fully operational with 14 buses—four Thomas Built and ten Blue Bird models—and 22 chargers, including six high-power bidirectional V2G DC fast chargers and 14 lower-power units.
  • PG&E completed site upgrades under Rules 15/16 and Rule 21 by installing a 480-volt three-phase service entrance, a 750 kVA transformer and a 2,500-amp switchgear to enable energy exports.
  • The Mobility House’s ChargePilot platform manages charging and discharging through OpenADR signals, enabling FUSD to dispatch stored power during PG&E’s Emergency Load Reduction Program.
  • The deployment forms part of the California Energy Commission’s Replicable Vehicle-to-X Deployment Study and marks FUSD as the second district in PG&E’s commercial V2X pilot, with plans to add two high-power unidirectional chargers and two more electric buses in 2026.
  • By replacing six diesel buses, the program advances local decarbonization and resilience while offering a model for scaling grid-integrated school transportation statewide.