The World’s Resource Institute Electric School Bus Initiative published a 68-page on the geographic distribution of school buses, fuel types and their emissions control technology.
WRI said the goal of the analysis released last month is to understand what school districts and populations are exposed to emissions from the oldest, most polluting school buses as well as which socioeconomic characteristics of districts are implementing electric school buses (ESB).
The research found that the most polluting buses in the U.S. — those that are older and lack modern emissions reduction technology — are operated in school districts with higher shares of low-income households and residents of color. But, WRI notes these districts are also at the front of the ESB transition. Rural school districts are also more likely to have older buses, however their fleets are also smaller overall.
WRI identified Oklahoma, Idaho, Oregon, Kansas and South Dakota as the top five states with the greatest number of pre-2010 diesel school buses in operation. The analysis found that 75 percent of all Oklahoma buses are pre-2010 diesel buses, followed by Idaho at 55 percent.
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Meanwhile, the report states, “As of Dec. 31, 2022, there were 5,612 committed ESBs across all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.” The figure includes 21 ESBs in five tribal schools and one private school operated by a tribal nation. States with the most committed ESBs are California with 1,852, followed by Maryland at 361 and New York at 310.
Aas of June 2024, the Electric School Bus Initiative website shows ESB adoption has grown to a total commitment of 12,164 buses, two-thirds of which were funded by the EPA Clean School Bus Program. Of those buses, the Electric School Bus Data Dashboard says 4,502 are in operation nationwide with 5,977 awarded ESBs and 1,717 ordered ESBs
