In an Earth Day press conference, Capital Metro announced its environmentally conscious plans to build a facility for charging new electric buses. “What’s important to know about this, and …[why] we’re doing this on Earth Day, is what we’re going to be doing with this once we’re done with construction,” said Ann Kitchen, member of Austin City Council and Capital Metro’s board of directors. She said the facility and an all-electric bus route is part of the transit agency’s Project Connect, a regional high-capacity transit vision. The facility will be located next to Capital Metro’s North Operations and Maintenance Facility on McNeil Road in Austin, on the former site of a Serta warehouse. “This here is going to be the home of our electric bus fleet of the future,” Capital Metro CEO Randy Clarke said. “What we want to build is a smart charging yard.” Clarke said the zero-emission buses will help the entire community by reducing noise and air pollution. Bay Scoggin, director of the Texas Public Interest Research Group, said by going electric, Capital Metro will save $200,000 per bus over the vehicle’s lifetime.