July 8, 2026
California Porterville Unified School District (PUSD) is dramatically overhauling its energy infrastructure, thanks to some help from ForeFront Power.
The project aims to meet the district’s needs for energy, grid resiliency and electricity costs and includes a 763 kW carport solar panel, 408 kW / 1.63 MWh battery storage system and on-site microgrid capabilities. The neighborhood will be able to completely detach itself from it Southern California Edison’s the main grid when necessary, with all power drawn from the on-site solar installations.
In total, the project should be able to offset about 80% of the district’s electricity use across all facilities, ForeFront Power representatives say.
“We are excited to move forward with this important infrastructure project, which supports the district’s long-term goals of sustainability, energy resiliency and responsible management of public resources,” said Brad Rohrbach, assistant superintendent of business services for the Porterville Unified School District. “This project represents a significant investment in our students, schools and community, while helping position the district for a more efficient and sustainable future.”
Innovative energy technologies such as microgrids and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) services have become an integral part of the PUSD’s resilience strategy, officials say. The project also aims to protect the broader California District area community during emergencies and power outages.
“When completed, this clean energy portfolio will serve as a national model,” said Dr. Ruben Fontes, CEO of ForeFront Power, “for how vulnerable communities can mitigate rising energy and fuel costs, improve public health, achieve ambitious climate goals and protect themselves from climate crises.”
Charging the fleet
In addition to solar and storage efforts, the district will electrify its fleet of school buses, thanks to a major investment through the EPAs Clean school bus program.
The investment consists largely of federal grant money and will connect the district CALSTARTa Pasadena, California-based company focused on advancing the energy transition in the transportation sector. Included in the wider project is a support system of 35 fast charging ports to serve the fleet, which will be connected The Mobility House ChargePilot charging management system.
CALSTART Regional Director Valerie Thorsen, PE, says the district has also offered EV internships in partnership with Climate action pathways for schoolsand enable the creation and filling of renewable energy jobs in the Golden State.
“PUSD’s commitment to decarbonizing their fleet is deeply meaningful to the San Joaquin Valley, to the broader Porterville community and to school districts going through similar transitions,” Thorsen added. “Financing programs that reduce capital costs are critical to making these school electrification projects possible.”
The newly electrified bus fleet will help solve another problem for the school district and surrounding area: poor air quality. According to ForeFront Power officials, the district’s home base, Tulare County, consistently experiences some of the worst air quality in the U.S. as a whole. The EV fleet program is part of the PUSD Energy & Sustainability Program, which aims to reduce both energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2030 or sooner.
Tags: California, carport, commercial and industrial, EV chargers, Forefront Power, Microgrid, project
