A 10-stall electric bus charging station with an array of solar panels atop its roof, along with a pair of overhead high-speed chargers, is now a permanent part of Pace North Suburban Bus’s North Division garage as the organization moves toward an all-electric fleet by 2040. Though there is one el ectric bus there now, Maggie Daly Skoggsbakken, Pace’s chief communications officer, said she anticipates there will be 10 to 12 operating out of the North Division garage in Waukegan in the first half of 2026. “Part of our mission is to reduce our carbon footprint, and the solar panels, along with the electric fleet, will do that,” Skoggsbakken said. “The solar panels help provide energy to light the grounds and the facility, so it will lower our energy costs.” Pace executives, along with federal, state and local officials, celebrated the completion of the initial phase of converting the garage into a facility capable of charging a full fleet of battery-electric buses on Dec. 22 at Pace’s North Division garage in Waukegan. Skoggsbakken said the event marked the end of the first phase of Pace’s move into an all-electric fleet — creating an exterior charging station — and the start of the second stage — completing renovation of the interior for maintenance of electric vehicles by the end of 2027. As Pace transitions from diesel to a fully electric fleet over the next 15 years, she said its North Division, based in Lake County, is the pilot program and will be the first to operate an all-electric fleet. Pace Suburban Bus personnel and an array of public officials celebrate the opening of Pace’s electric bus charging station on Dec. 22 in Waukegan. (City of Waukegan) “It’s a good size for it due to the size of the routes, so we can test how everything works,” Skoggsbakken said, referring to the North Division. “The area has been underserved, and this will help support it.” U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park, was one of the officials at the event. He secured $1.92 million through Congress’s Community-Based Funding program two years ago to help pay for the charging station and some of the buses. “Pace is now expanding the vital infrastructure needed to support zero-emission buses here in Waukegan,” Schneider said in a text. “That means cleaner air, quieter streets, and more reliable transit for the entire community and the families who depend on Pace every day. It strengthens our transit system for the long-term.” Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham said in a text that he is glad Pace picked the city for its first all-electric bus facility. It benefits the environment and the people living in the community, he said. Electric buses can get a quick charge at this overhead charging apparatus at the Pace bus garage in Waukegan. (City of Waukegan) “This project puts Waukegan at the forefront of clean public transportation in the region,” Cunningham said. “Once on the road, the electric buses will help improve air quality, reduce emissions, and move us toward a cleaner, more sustainable public transportation system.” For state Rep. Rita Mayfield, D-Gurnee, the event was a homecoming of sorts. She once worked for Pace at its Waukegan facility on 10th Street. It was her first full-time job at age 18. She started as a typist and worked her way into several responsible positions. She also learned how to drive a bus. Pace paid for her undergraduate and graduate education. “It’s exciting they are doing this in Waukegan and not somewhere else,” Mayfield said. “The electric buses will provide clean air for the staff to breathe. This is good for everybody.” With 50 buses on order, Skoggsbakken said Pace hopes to have the first wave of approximately 20 in the first half of 2026. Some will go to other areas, but she anticipates 10 to 12 in Lake County. Aggressively continuing to seek grants to pay for the program over the next 15 years, she said Pace has already received a $27 million grant from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the $1.92 million from Schneider. Initial funding of $12.5 million came from Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois program. The North Division currently employs 70 bus drivers, nine mechanics and eight members of its support staff. It operates 14 routes carrying 4,937 riders each weekday, according to a Pace news release. ...read more read less