EPA announces $1 billion in grant funding for electric school buses

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced nearly $1 billion in grant funding for electric school buses across the US – enough for more than 2,700 clean buses.

Sixty-seven applicants have been selected for funding in 280 school districts serving over 7 million students across 37 states. School districts in low-income, rural, and/or Tribal communities make up around 86% of the projects that will receive the grant money.

This is the second round of funding under a $5 billion program that’s part of the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. With today’s announcement, EPA’s Clean School Bus Program has awarded nearly $2 billion and funded approximately 5,000 electric and low-emission school buses across the US.

Vice President Kamala Harris said:

Every school day, 25 million children ride our nation’s largest form of mass transit: the school bus. The vast majority of those buses run on diesel, exposing students, teachers, and bus drivers to toxic air pollution.

… As part of our work to tackle the climate crisis, the historic funding we are announcing today is an investment in our children, their health, and their education. It also strengthens our economy by investing in American manufacturing and America’s workforce.

Electric school buses are more fuel-efficient and cheaper on a lifetime basis, and they’re the safest option for children because they don’t release direct tailpipe pollution.

You can see which school districts are receiving funding here.

Photo: Daimler Truck North America

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