The Biden Administration today announced the recipients of nearly $1 billion of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2022 Clean School Bus Program rebate competition. In other words, that means thousands of new electric school buses will soon hit the road across the US.
The money, which came from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, went to 389 school districts across 50 states; Washington, DC; and several tribes and US territories.
The grants will help those 389 school districts purchase over 2,400 electric school buses.
In May, EPA announced the availability of $500 million for its Clean School Bus Program. Given the overwhelming demand from school districts across the US, EPA nearly doubled the amount of funding to $965 million.
The rebate application period closed in August with an enthusiastic response from US school districts that want to purchase electric and low-emission school buses.
Using a lottery system, EPA selected 389 applications totaling $913 million to support the purchase of 2,463 buses – 95% of which will be electric.
School districts identified as priority areas serving low-income, rural, and/or tribal students make up 99% of the projects that were selected. More applications are under review, and the agency plans to select more to reach the full $965 million in the coming weeks.
Those school districts that received an award can now purchase their new electric buses and infrastructure.
EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said:
As many as 25 million children rely on the bus to get to school each day. Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration, we are making an unprecedented investment in our children’s health, especially those in communities overburdened by air pollution. This is just the beginning of our work to build a healthier future, reduce climate pollution, and ensure the clean, breathable air that all our children deserve.
These awards are the first $1 billion of a five-year, $5 billion program created by President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. EPA will make another $1 billion available for clean school buses in fiscal year 2023, so those that didn’t get selected in 2022 can try again.
Want to see which districts in your area will soon be running electric school buses? You can see the full list here.
Read more: The largest electric school bus fleet in the US just launched in Maryland
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Author: Michelle Lewis
Source: Electrek
