ComEd Awards Nearly $1 Million in EV Rebates to West Aurora School District 129

ComEd today presented a $930,000 electric vehicle (EV) rebate check to West Aurora School District 129, helping provide funding to electrify the district’s school bus fleet. The school district, together with its partners Highland Electric Fleets and Blue Bird, has added 27 EV school buses and 28 EV chargers to support student transportation. This investment makes the district one of the largest electric school bus fleets operating in ComEd’s northern Illinois service territory, and one of the largest recipients of an EV school bus rebate through ComEd’s Beneficial Electrification (BE) Plan.

“ComEd is proud to fund electrification projects like West Aurora School District 129’s and hundreds of others across the region, as our customers and communities take steps toward a lower carbon future,” said Gil Quiniones, President and CEO of ComEd. “EV rebates are helping reduce the upfront costs while also bringing us closer to achieving the state’s energy and climate goals.”

Since the launch of ComEd’s EV rebate programs in February of 2024, ComEd has awarded nearly $130 million in EV rebate funding in 354 northern Illinois zip codes—helping fund more than 8,700 EV charging ports and over 2,700 fleet electric vehicles. Eighty percent of the rebates paid have gone to low-income customers or organizations located in, or primarily serving, low-income and Equity Investment Eligible Communities (EIECs).

The new electric buses will reduce emissions in the community and provide a quieter, more comfortable experience for students, drivers and the surrounding community. West Aurora is committed to improving operational efficiency and environmental performance across its schools.

“West Aurora is proud to lead with actions that strengthen our schools and our community,” said Dr. Angie Smith, SD129 Associate Superintendent of Operations. “From energy efficiency to transportation, these investments reduce emissions, improve air quality and create a healthier environment for students, staff and families across our district.”

Funding for fleet EVs, including school buses, and related infrastructure is an essential step to reducing barriers to EV adoption. ComEd’s EV rebate programs are a requirement of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), a landmark climate law passed in Illinois aiming to put 1 million EVs on Illinois roads by 2030. Currently, there are over 150,000 EVs registered in Illinois, with nearly 90 percent operating in ComEd’s service territory, up from 19,000 registered EVs in northern Illinois in 2019.