Air Quality Investment Bill moves forward in Senate with $65M for electric school buses and $12M for e-bikes

DENVER – On Tuesday, April 5th, the Senate Transportation and Energy Committee heard testimony on SB22-193, Air Quality Improvement Investments.

CoPIRG Advocate Alex Simon delivered the following testimony on behalf of the bill:

“We’re here in strong support of a couple of pieces of this bill – specifically, the investments in electric school buses and e-bikes. 

We are, however, in opposition to spending up to $15 million on new diesel trucks, as proposed in Section 3 of the bill. New diesel trucks will be on the road for decades to come and offer minimal climate, air quality, and economic benefits compared to electric trucks. We instead support using the funding to decommission old diesel trucks and replace them with all electric, zero-emission trucks. 

The timing of this bill could not be more urgent. This past summer, the Denver Metro area surpassed the record of 65 ozone alert days in a single season. As the mother of a toddler, I’ve grown especially attentive to the ongoing “ozone alerts” or “sensitive air quality” days, advising us to stay indoors on yet another polluted summer day in Colorado.  

We strongly support investing at least $65M in electric school buses. Thousands of diesel school buses are currently in operation around Colorado today. Diesel exhaust has been linked to numerous health problems, including lung cancer, asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia. It’s classified as a likely carcinogen by the EPA – yet every day, we send our children on buses where they are exposed to diesel pollution. Exhaust fumes inside school buses have been found to be up to four times higher than in nearby cars.

Beyond protecting our childrens’ health, transitioning to electric school buses is a serious step toward reducing ozone pollution. Diesel emissions are a leading contributor to Colorado’s dirty ozone days. Electric-powered school buses are a critical solution to this problem. Replacing our fossil-fuel powered buses with electric models would eliminate harmful diesel exhaust, creating a healthier and safer ride for our school children, while also tackling our air pollution. With school district budgets stretched thin, many school districts cannot afford the upfront cost of a new electric bus — even though the buses would save the district money over time in lower fuel and maintenance costs.  

This critical investment from the state sends a message to both manufacturers and school districts that Colorado is ready to go electric, and supporting both the health of our children and our environment. 

We also support the investment of $12M in expanding access to e-bikes, a cheaper and more sustainable alternative to car transportation that brings additional health benefits from the associated exercise. Nearly 50% of trips in the Denver metro region are less than three miles, a distance that can be covered with an e-bike, reducing car traffic and pollution.

Colorado is a state that prides itself on a healthy, outdoor lifestyle.  This bill makes critical investments in electric transportation that will benefit our air quality, climate, and health of our children. 

Thank you.”