Dear WCSU Superintendent Anton,

West River Valley 100% Renewable is an innovative and bold project dedicated to meeting 100% of our towns’ energy needs—transportation, heating and cooling, and electricity—through renewable sources by 2025.

Citizens have the capacity to substantially reduce the risks of climate change and create a clean and green future. Cities, businesses, and communities around the world have already begun the transition to 100% renewable. The prices of electric vehicles, solar and wind energy have fallen significantly, while the future of all fossil fuels will rise or be phased out.

Vermont has set a goal of 90% of all energy being sourced by renewables by 2050. Regarding transportation, Vermont’s Comprehensive Energy Plan states that “[a]bout half of the fossil fuels used in Vermont are for transportation….” Moreover, Green Mountain Power has established the goal of 100% renewable energy sources by 2030, and Act 174, established in 2016, encourages energy planning on regional and town planning throughout the state as a way toward increased energy independence, environmental sustainability, and a thriving energy economy.

We know that changing to electric buses will involve difficult decisions and pose financial challenges. We also know that a clean and green future for our children and their children demand that changes must start now.

Therefore, we, the undersigned residents from Jamaica, Townshend, Brookline, Newfane, Wardsboro, Windham and Grafton believe that we all have a role to play in limiting the negative effects of climate change in our communities. We support West River Valley 100% Renewable's call to replace the diesel-fueled school buses that serve the West River Valley with electric school buses. Please act now! There's no time to waste.

We ask you to:

1. Develop a plan that includes a timetable to transition the public school buses serving the West River Valley Modified Union District schools to electric buses as soon as possible.
2. Research grants or available entities for funding electric school buses and their charging infrastructure, as well as for the training to properly maintain the vehicles, and explore potential funding partnerships.
3. Present the plan to all the towns served by West River Valley Modified Union District.