Fredericksburg, VA – In an effort to deploy electric school buses in rural communities, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) has joined the Beneficial Electrification League’s (BEL) Electric School Bus initiative.

In the nation’s 13,185 unified school districts, rural electric co-ops like REC serve more than 50 percent of the territory in nearly 6,000 of those districts.

The Electric School Bus Initiative brings together cooperative organizations representing more than 300 local utilities in more than 20 states. All participants have a common goal of helping utilities and school districts work together on electric school bus programs.

“REC is very excited to work with BEL to help electrify school buses in our communities,” said Joyce Bodoh, REC’s Director – Energy Solutions and Clean Energy. “Students who ride electric school buses benefit tremendously through cleaner air and quieter rides to school.”

Participating cooperatives are working together to access funding for electric school buses and school bus infrastructure such as charging stations. They are also encouraging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set aside money to support this effort.

“These electric school buses can bring a lot of benefits to students, the school systems, REC and the electric cooperative community at-large,” Bodoh added. “REC is committed to providing sustainable energy, and this is just one more exciting step in that direction.”

REC provides electric service to over 170,000 connections in parts of 22 Virginia counties. With its general office in Fredericksburg, Va., the Cooperative operates and maintains more than 17,000 miles of power lines through its service area, which ranges from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the tidal waters of the Chesapeake Bay. For more information about REC, please visit www.myrec.coop. Follow REC on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.