Recharge-OK
Advancing Oklahoma Community Energy Resilience Through V2G-Enabled Electric School Buses
Recharge-OK is a National Science Foundation (NSF)–funded Civic Innovation Challenge (CIVIC 3.0) project led by the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (Award No. 2527318). The project addresses a growing challenge in Oklahoma: increasingly frequent severe weather events — including tornadoes, ice storms, and heatwaves — that disrupt power systems and place schools and communities at risk.
Recharge-OK explores how electric school buses equipped with bidirectional charging technology, known as Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G), can serve as distributed energy assets. While school buses are traditionally used for student transportation, their large onboard batteries and predictable idle times create a unique opportunity to store energy and send it back to the grid during outages or periods of peak demand.
The pilot is being implemented in Shawnee, Oklahoma, in collaboration with local school districts, utilities, and community stakeholders. Through a Community Advisory Board (CAB), civic partners actively guide implementation to ensure that technical innovation aligns with real community needs.
By integrating engineering research, real-world pilot deployment, and community co-design, Recharge-OK aims to demonstrate a scalable model for strengthening energy resilience across Oklahoma and beyond.
Project Challenge
Severe weather events such as tornadoes, ice storms, and heatwaves are causing more power outages across Oklahoma, putting schools and communities at risk. The Recharge-OK project explores how electric school buses, equipped with Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology, can store and send energy back to the grid to help during emergencies and times of high demand.
Pilot Vision
- Advance technical research on electric school buses by integrating bi-directional chargers that enable real-time energy exchange with the grid through Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology.
- Demonstrate how V2G-enabled buses can provide backup power during outages and reduce peak energy demand in Shawnee, OK.
- Launch a digital decision-making support platform that shows real-time V2G performance, cost savings, and environmental benefits.
- Host community workshops, a science fair, and student-led STEM projects to raise energy awareness and resilience education.
- Develop scalable economic models and utility rate structures to support V2G adoption in schools across other communities.