METRO Regional Transit Authority (RTA) put its battery-electric buses to work beyond passenger transportation during Akron, Ohio’s 2026 PorchROKR Music Festival, using three Gillig buses to power stages while also providing transportation and other amenities for festivalgoers.

The Summit County transit agency partnered with the Highland Square Neighborhood Association for the event, which draws crowds of up to 25,000 people and features an average of 160 local musicians and bands. The agency supplied three fully electric Gillig buses as the sole electrical sources for the festival’s three main stages. The buses also served as cooling and charging stations for attendees, while one doubled as a safety barrier between the festival and an active roadway.

How METRO RTA Used Electric Buses to Power the Festival

The setup was relatively straightforward. Each bus was parked in a predetermined location, with a stage constructed either in front of or beside it. Extension cords and electrical inverters then supplied power to the stage equipment.

The inverters converted the buses’ standard 24 volts of direct current into the 120 volts of alternating current needed by external equipment, allowing the buses to power stage lighting and sound systems.

The three buses included one 2021 Gillig Gen 2 battery-electric bus and two 2022 Gillig Gen 3 models. Bus No. 7001 carries six high-voltage battery packs with a combined capacity of 456 kWh, while buses No. 7002 and 7003 each have six battery packs with a combined capacity of 576 kWh.

Despite supporting festival equipment and onboard systems simultaneously, the buses did not require charging during the event.

For example, Bus No. 7001 used less than 25% of its stored energy (roughly 114 kWh) during approximately 10 hours of idle time. That energy powered external sound and lighting equipment as well as the bus's air conditioning, which was set to maximum cooling, and LED destination signs displaying custom messages.

All three buses entered the event at a 100% state of charge. According to the agency, they retained enough energy afterward to be dispatched on a standard transit run without first fully recharging.

Community Events Paved the Way

PorchROKR marked the first time METRO used its electric buses to power external equipment for direct public use. Still, the concept grew out of several years of experimenting with the buses at community events.

One example is the agency’s annual “Boo Bus” for the Downtown Akron Partnership’s Fall Fest. Each year, the agency decorates an electric bus around a different theme and turns it into a “haunted house on wheels” for families to walk through.

For the 2025 event, an external inverter powered string lights, fog machines, and animatronics aboard a “Nightmare Before Christmas”-themed bus. That experience helped demonstrate the buses’ ability to support equipment outside their traditional transportation role.

The PorchROKR partnership began taking shape in early 2026, when the Highland Square Neighborhood Association approached METRO RTA about establishing an official Park & Ride service for the festival. As discussions expanded to other festival needs, using the electric buses as stage power sources became a natural extension of the partnership.

“Being part of the public transit industry also means being part of a green industry, and this partnership highlighted that,” said Eric Scott, METRO RTA chief operations officer. “Overall, this experience showed us that even after 50+ years of attending community events and forming local partnerships, there are always new, creative ways to make an impact.”

Park & Ride Sees Ridership Boost

The buses were only one piece of METRO’s PorchROKR involvement. Approximately 1,000 festival attendees used the free Park & Ride service from the designated parking location. Compared with PorchROKR 2025, ridership along the official Park & Ride portion of Route 1 increased 56.18%.

METRO said systemwide ridership also increased 5.49% compared with the day of the 2025 festival. The agency expects Park & Ride participation to grow further next year as awareness of the service increases.

The partnership also gave festivalgoers places to escape the August heat. Attendees could enter the electric buses to cool off, charge devices using onboard USB ports, and access complimentary Wi-Fi.

Could Electric Buses Provide Emergency Power?

Following the festival, METRO RTA sees opportunities to use the concept in other situations. The agency has previously supplied buses to local law enforcement during emergencies such as apartment building evacuations. The agency said it would also be open to providing electric buses to power external devices during an emergency when appropriate.

The PorchROKR experiment demonstrated how transit agencies can find additional value in resources they already have.

“When you think you've 'been there, done that,' maybe it's time to flip the script and look at things from a different perspective,” Scott said. “Essentially, leveraging the resources, assets, and programs that we already had ended up being more effective than reinventing the wheel.”