“Energy as a Service” Fleet Electrification Project Unveiled in Maryland

AlphaStruxure, a joint venture between the Carlyle Global Infrastructure Opportunity Fund and Schneider Electric that delivers Energy as a Service (EaaS) solutions, recently announced an agreement to deploy an integrated microgrid and electric bus charging infrastructure project for Montgomery County in Maryland. The project will enable at least 44 buses in Ride On Montgomery County’s transit fleet to transition from diesel to electric, advancing the county’s goal to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2035, reducing lifetime emissions by more than 155,000 tons while delivering resilience to climate events and power outages.

The Brookville Smart Energy Bus Depot is a first-of-its-kind integration of microgrid and EV charging infrastructure, delivering sustainability, reliability and resilience for the County’s public transportation system. AlphaStruxure will design, build, finance, own and operate the project to enable Ride On’s growing electric bus fleet. The project is designed to deliver:

• Bus Electrification: Enabling the county’s transition from fossil fuel buses to electric buses with a customized energy and infrastructure solution.
• Environmental Sustainability: 62% carbon emissions reduction with electric buses powered by the microgrid and lifetime greenhouse gas benefit of more than 155,000 tons.
• Climate Resilience & Operational Reliability: Ensures uninterrupted bus services during any long-term power outages caused by severe weather as well as any short-term disturbances or perturbations of the utility grid.
• Flexible Fleet Operations: Avoidance of utility demand charges and time-of-use tariffs provides fleet operations with ultimate dispatch flexibility.
• Financial Benefits: Energy as a Service approach eliminates upfront cost to the county for the project, including all microgrid and charging infrastructure, and provides long-term cost predictability for energy supply.
• Economic Development: Expected to create more than 50 construction jobs.

"This advanced infrastructure project drives forward several of our priorities — converting our fleets to electric, reducing harmful emissions, and ensuring safety and security — in alignment with our ambitious climate goals," said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. "I’m pleased that this project will also improve the county's resilience, so we can continue providing transportation services even in the event of prolonged power outages."

According to David Dise, Montgomery County Department of General Services director, the Smart Energy Bus Depot project will provide a model for local governments, transit agencies, and the private sector looking to electrify their fleets. "Rather than buying the microgrid and charging infrastructure outright, the county partnered with AlphaStruxure, who builds, owns, operates and maintains the system,” he said. “The county then purchases the electricity and resilience supplied by the microgrid and charging infrastructure on an ongoing basis. This model delivers the supporting infrastructure required to electrify our bus fleet, customized to our specific needs, at no upfront cost while also enhancing resilience and environmental sustainability."