SAN FRANCISCO (March 15, 2022) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the winners of two national competitive efforts to support transitions to cleaner school buses: the 2021 American Rescue Plan (ARP) Electric School Bus Rebates, and the 2021 Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) School Bus Rebates. The two rebate efforts total approximately $17 million in combined funding nationwide for schools and bus fleet owners to replace older, high-polluting diesel school buses. In the Pacific Southwest, EPA is awarding a total of $1.5 million towards new school buses in Arizona, California, and Hawaii. Replacing these buses will improve air quality in and around schools and communities, reduce greenhouse gas pollution, and better protect children’s health overall.

“The historic investments in clean transportation resulting from President Biden’s leadership will have lasting impacts on protecting clean air for children for generations,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “This round of school bus grants from the American Rescue Plan is just the beginning. The unprecedented $5 billion investment that’s on the way for clean and zero-emission school buses from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will transform how millions of children get to school and help build a better America for a new generation.”

“Protecting the health of our children and fighting climate change are top priorities for EPA here in the Pacific Southwest, as well as across the country,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “These rebates will fund cleaner school buses that will help protect the health of children and of the communities living and working near schools and bus routes.”

Since 2012, EPA’s school bus rebates have awarded, or are in the process of awarding, over $73 million to replace more than 3,000 old diesel school buses. This program will also prioritize projects that help achieve the goals of President Biden’s Justice40 initiative, which aims to ensure that federal agencies deliver at least 40 percent of benefits from certain investments to underserved communities.

2021 American Rescue Plan Electric School Bus Rebate Awards

This new national program provides $7 million in nationwide funds to replace old diesel school buses with new, zero-emission electric school buses. The funds are reserved exclusively for school districts in underserved communities, Tribal schools, and private fleets serving those schools. Nationally, this program will award funding for 23 electric school bus replacements and associated charging infrastructure.

List of Awardees:

2021 Diesel Emissions Reduction Act School Bus Rebate Awards

Nationally, this year’s program awards approximately $10 million to fund the replacement of old diesel school buses with new electric, diesel, gasoline, propane, or compressed natural gas (CNG) school buses meeting current emission standards. This program will award funding for 444 school bus replacements.

List of Awardees:

In addition to the $17 million announced today, in the coming weeks, EPA plans to announce a new Clean School Bus rebate program under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides an unprecedented $5 billion over five years, to replace existing school buses with low- or zero-emission school buses.

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Clean School Bus Program

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides an unprecedented $5 billion over five years for the Clean School Bus Program to replace existing school buses with cleaner models. In Spring 2022, EPA plans to announce a new Clean School Bus rebate program for applicants to replace existing school buses with low- or zero-emission school buses. EPA may prioritize applications that replace school buses in high need local educational agencies, low-income and rural areas, Tribal schools, and applications that provide cost share. To learn more about the upcoming Clean School Bus Program, please visit http://www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus.

To learn more about the rebate programs, applicant eligibility, and selection process, visit https://www.epa.gov/dera/rebates and https://www.epa.gov/dera/2021-american-rescue-plan-arp-electric-school-bus-rebates.

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