The US Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has published a 1 million USD Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for an initiative that will enable power to be generated from electric and fuel cell-powered transit buses during natural disasters.
The Bus Exportable Power Systems (BEPS) programme is part of an initiative to build community resilience through local transit.
FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez said:Communities and states often need options for generating power immediately after natural disasters. Under this programme, we will advance the development of standards for exportable power systems, so that communities can take advantage of the power stored by high-tech transit buses to keep the lights on during natural disasters and other emergencies.
Previous FTA-supported research has successfully transformed hybrid, electric and fuel cell buses into mobile power generators. The BEPS NOFO now seeks an organisation to develop national standards, so that a variety of systems from different manufacturers can use the same technology and applications for bus power generation.
The BEPS programme was identified by Congress as part of the 2021 Appropriations Act as a strategy to help communities during emergencies and natural disasters. Applications for funding are due by 13 June.
