The P.E.I. government is researching the viability of getting electric school buses.
The information was given to the legislature Thursday in response to questions from Green Party leader Peter Bevan-Baker.
"The transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gases on P.E.I, accounting for 45 per cent of our emissions." he said during question period.
"What has been done to reduce emissions from the transportation sector?" he asked.
Paula Biggar, minister of transportation, infrastructure and energy, answered, looking forward rather than back, as asked.
"Every year we order about 20 school buses, and we certainly are exploring and looking at what is offered in Ontario and in Quebec in terms of electric buses," said Biggar.
Those two provinces are testing an electric school bus made in Quebec, known as the Lion Bus.
Speaking of electric vehicles, Bevan-Baker also asked about a tax break for people buying an electric car.
In the government's 2008 Energy Strategy, that tax break was supposed to expand in the years following, but instead it was cancelled entirely in 2013, said Bevan-Baker.
He said the recent federal budget contains a promise of $62.5 million for electric vehicle charging stations.
"Of course, this is great, but the other half of that solution is that we need to get more hybrid and electric vehicles out on the roads," said Bevan-Baker. "Will this government complement the federal initiative by reinstating an incentive for the purchase of electric vehicles?"
Not much of that federal money will come to P.E.I., was Biggar's replay, leaving her answer at that.
She did say there are other efforts by government to reduce green-house gas from transportation sources.
She said a new machine for road paving is going to be tried this year that might cut down on the amount of truck trips needed to supply the paving site and reduce the amount of asphalt components that need to be shipped into P.E.I. to make pavement.
The P.E.I. government is researching the viability of getting electric school buses.
The information was given to the legislature Thursday in response to questions from Green Party leader Peter Bevan-Baker.
"The transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gases on P.E.I, accounting for 45 per cent of our emissions." he said during question period.
"What has been done to reduce emissions from the transportation sector?" he asked.
Paula Biggar, minister of transportation, infrastructure and energy, answered, looking forward rather than back, as asked.
"Every year we order about 20 school buses, and we certainly are exploring and looking at what is offered in Ontario and in Quebec in terms of electric buses," said Biggar.
Those two provinces are testing an electric school bus made in Quebec, known as the Lion Bus.
Speaking of electric vehicles, Bevan-Baker also asked about a tax break for people buying an electric car.
In the government's 2008 Energy Strategy, that tax break was supposed to expand in the years following, but instead it was cancelled entirely in 2013, said Bevan-Baker.
He said the recent federal budget contains a promise of $62.5 million for electric vehicle charging stations.
"Of course, this is great, but the other half of that solution is that we need to get more hybrid and electric vehicles out on the roads," said Bevan-Baker. "Will this government complement the federal initiative by reinstating an incentive for the purchase of electric vehicles?"
Not much of that federal money will come to P.E.I., was Biggar's replay, leaving her answer at that.
She did say there are other efforts by government to reduce green-house gas from transportation sources.
She said a new machine for road paving is going to be tried this year that might cut down on the amount of truck trips needed to supply the paving site and reduce the amount of asphalt components that need to be shipped into P.E.I. to make pavement.
