EPA’s Clean School Bus program shows demand for electric buses

On Wednesday the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the winners of the first round of funding to come from the Clean School Bus Rebate Program. The program was set up by the Bipartisan Federal Infrastructure bill passed last November and will allocate a total of $5 billion to clean school buses over the next 5 years. The initial round of funding consisted of just under $1 billion dollars in funding which was awarded to 389 different school districts across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. 

While the Clean School Bus Rebate program allows administrators to receive awards for buses powered by a variety of diesel alternatives, the initial round of applications showed overwhelming support for school bus electrification. The funding will support the purchase of 2,493 new school buses, 95% which will be electric. Electric school buses are safer and cleaner than their fossil fuel powered counterparts. Not only does converting to electric buses reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are linked to climate change, it also reduces the production of air pollutants such as PM 2.5 which can cause a variety of respiratory and cardiovascular issues. To learn more about the benefits of electric school buses visit Electric School Buses and the Grid.