SunLine Transit Agency to be Presented with $500,000 Funding Award

On Monday, August 5, 2024, at 10:15 a.m., Congressman Raul Ruiz will be presenting SunLine Transit Agency with a check for $500,000 to support facilitating the Agency’s energy independence and efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.

This funding was included in the FY 2024 Senate Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) bill as part of the annual Community Project Request process. The check presentation will be held at SunLine’s headquarters in the Boardroom, located at 32-505 Harry Oliver Trail in Thousand Palms.

Congressman Raul Ruiz and Senator Alex Padilla collaborated to secure this new funding for SunLine Transit Agency. It will help fund a battery storage package that can be plugged into SunLine’s existing substation in order to store energy coming from the existing infrastructure including the grid and solar. The engineering work required to allow for the ultimate delivery of this project will now be able to start as a result of this new federal funding award.

“We are so appreciative of the work Congressman Ruiz and Senator Padilla have done on SunLine’s behalf to assist the Agency as we continue to expand our use of renewable energy,” said Mona Babauta, CEO/General Manager of SunLine Transit Agency. “Together, we strive towards the goal of improving air quality in our region by utilizing state-of-the-art technologies that continue to advance clean energy initiatives.”

SunLine Transit Agency intends to construct a solar microgrid that will provide renewable fuel to its fleet of clean buses. The Coachella Valley is severely impacted by emissions, and this project enables SunLine to do its part to reduce emissions and facilitate health benefits for all residents.

For more information about SunLine Transit Agency, visit SunLine.org.