More electric school buses will be on the road shortly, as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the winners of two rebate programs that will fund $17 million in new school bus purchases.
List of Awardees:
Arizona, Theodore Roosevelt School = $300,000 for 1 school bus
California, Terra Bella Union Elementary = $600,000 for 2 school buses
Michigan, Dearborn Public School District = $300,000 for 1 school bus
Missouri, Charleston R-1 School District = $900,000 for 3 school buses
Montana, Lame Deer Elementary School = $300,000 for 1 school bus
New Jersey, Holcomb Transportation, Inc – (Camden City School District) = $300,000 for 1 school bus
Oklahoma, Heavener Public Schools = $300,000 for 1 school bus
Rhode Island,First Student Inc – (Providence School District) = $1,200,000 for 4 school buses
South Carolina, SC DOE Orangeburg CSD = $1,200,000 for 4 school buses
Tennessee, Bledsoe County Board of Education = $600,000 for 2 school buses
Virginia, Petersburg City Public Schools = $900,000 for 3 school buses
The 2021 American Rescue Plan Electric School Bus Rebate program, part of the law signed last March by President Joe Biden, provides almost $7 million that is directed toward school districts in underserved communities to replace old diesel buses with new zero-emission electric vehicles.
The program provides funds to replace higher-polluting diesel buses with new, zero-emission school buses. The funds are reserved for school districts in underserved communities, tribal schools, and private fleets serving those schools. The program is awarding funding for 23 electric school bus replacements and associated charging infrastructure across 11 states.
Additionally, on Monday the EPA announced another $10 million in rebates from the 2021 Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA). The funding will help replace 444 old diesel school buses with new electric, diesel, gasoline, propane or CNG buses.
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A press release added that in the coming weeks the EPA will announce a new Clean School Bus rebate program under the Infrastructure Law.
“The historic investments in clean transportation resulting from President Biden’s leadership will have lasting impacts on protecting clean air for children for generations,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “This round of school bus grants from the American Rescue Plan is just the beginning. The unprecedented $5 billion investment that’s on the way for clean and zero-emission school buses from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will transform how millions of children get to school and help build a better America for a new generation.”
