News & Insights
Photo courtesy of: Greg Land
State mandates on transition to zero-emission fleets and facilities are almost here
California’s PK-12 and community college leaders are under growing pressure to do more with less. You are already contending with aging facilities, constrained budgets, and changing enrollment patterns. Now, state policy adds another layer of responsibility: a series of laws that require school districts and local agencies to convert fleets and infrastructure to clean, zero-emission alternatives.
For many districts, these laws feel less like distant climate goals and more like looming deadlines. AB 579 requires that by January 1, 2035, all new school buses purchased or contracted by California school districts must be zero-emission. The Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation requires that local government fleets—including district-owned heavy-duty vehicles over 8,500 pounds—purchase 50% zero-emission vehicles starting in 2024 and 100% starting in 2027. Meanwhile, the Advanced Clean Cars II regulation mandates that all new light-duty vehicles sold in California must be zero-emission by 2035. And overarching it all, Senate Bill 100 (SB 100) requires the state to reach 100% clean electricity by 2045.
Electrification requires thinking strategically about real estate assets and funding.
These regulations aren’t abstract policy statements. They are statutory requirements, and they will require you to think strategically with regard to every facility upgrade and fleet purchase you make from this point forward. It is not as simple as changing out bus for bus or car for car. Given the distance your current fossil fuel fleet travels daily, you may need to reevaluate your depots and maintenance facilities to ensure they are optimally located to serve your needs and routes. Securing adequate electric capacity from your local provider to service these new electric vehicles may take months or even a year or more to have installed. Timing between fleet purchases and supporting electical capacity becomes critical. You need to make sure that when the new vehicles arrive, you have the ability to adequately charge them. The equipment used to maintain these vehicles, lifts, hoists, and training is all different. Although funding may be available for the purchase of new vehicles, little funding is ever available or provided to pay for the real estate, maintenance equipment or facilities needed to provide your electric vehicle infrastructure. So alternative forms of funding may be needed as leadership will be reluctant to use General Funds to pay for these costs.
From mandates to momentum
We’ve seen firsthand that districts that start early can turn these mandates into opportunities. A pilot electric bus program launched today is not just a compliance exercise for AB 579. Rather, it’s a way to deliver quieter, healthier rides for students and gather route performance data that may qualify your district for an extension if needed. Preparing now for ACF’s 2027 deadline allows you to spread vehicle and infrastructure investments over several years, instead of being forced into rushed, costly decisions later.
The same holds true for facilities. The 2025 Title 24 Energy Code will require more heat pumps and electric-readiness in school buildings permitted after January 1, 2026. Planning for those standards now allows you to design projects that are cost-effective and future-proof. And because the grid itself will be fully renewable by 2045 under SB 100, every electrification project you complete, from HVAC systems to kitchens to bus depots, will grow cleaner and more impactful over time.
A strategic path forward
What does this mean for your district in practice? It means:
The key is not to treat mandates as obstacles, but as a framework that brings certainty to long-term planning.
The call to act now
California has made the path clear: the future is all-electric fleets and renewable energy infrastructure. The question is whether your district will get there strategically, on its own terms, or reactively, under deadline pressure.
By beginning now—with pilots, phased plans, and financing strategies—you can turn compliance into competitive advantage. The zero-emission school bus law (AB 579), the Advanced Clean Fleets deadlines, and the state’s 100% clean electricity mandate under SB 100 are not just regulations. They are guideposts, giving you certainty in a world where so much else is uncertain.
With foresight and partnership, you can deliver healthier campuses, protect budgets, and lead your community into California’s clean energy future.
At Brailsford & Dunlavey, we know these transitions are complex. David Karlsgodt leads our Infrastructure, Energy & Sustainability practice, where he helps public institutions develop climate and utility plans and structure partnerships that unlock funding for major energy transitions. Al Grazioli brings deep expertise in helping PK-14 districts identify and monetize underutilized assets, creating new sources of funding to support projects such as electrification and workforce housing.
Together, we help districts like yours move beyond compliance toward integrated, mission-driven solutions that advance educational outcomes, financial stability, and environmental leadership.
