The Rhode Island Public Transportation Authority (RIPTA) opened its first electric bus in-line charging station in the Ocean State Wednesday morning, in an event that saw a star-studded cast of speakers.

US Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse visited Cranston for the event (the charging station is on the border of Cranston and Providence), in addition to U.S. Representative Gabe Amo, Cranston Mayor Kenneth J. Hopkins and Providence Mayor Brett Smiley. Other speakers included Federal Transit Administrator Peter Butler and Rhode Island Energy CEO Greg Cornett.

The design and building of the station cost $7.6 million, funded by Volkswagon Settlement Funds and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, according to a RIPTA press release.

“Those funds are not only helping us train our mechanics and give our mechanics the tools they need to do their jobs with this new technology but are also helping us launch our new training program to make sure we have drivers to drive the buses,” Durand said.

In 2022, RIPTA first welcomed its fleet of 14 electric buses for the R-line, which runs from Pawtucket to Cranston. Now, the new charging station will help power these buses on what CEO RIPTA Interim CEO Christopher Durand says is RIPTA’s highest frequency route.

“Not only is it fast and frequent, but now it’s clean as well,” Durand said, adding that the initiative would contribute to key RIPTA goals, like “fair wages” and “lower operating costs.” To charge a bus from 30% charge to 90% takes about an hour, however, RIPTA aims to charge buses for 10 minutes at a time during their route according to their spokeswoman.

Since the start of the program, the electric buses have saved over 30,000 gallons of diesel and buses have traveled over 138,000 miles, according to Durand. Reed called the new charging station “vital for an electric fleet.”

Rhode Island politicians celebrated the milestone at the event.

Reed said the new station “will lower pollution and save dollars” while ushering in an electric-focused future in Rhode Island.

“Our goal — and I think we’ll achieve it — is to be the first state in the country with an entirely electric transit system,” he said. “We are not gonna stop in Washington and I know RIPTA is not going to stop until that’s done.”

Amo agreed: “I’m proud to see Rhode Island step up as a leader in the green economy,” he said.