SAN FRANCISCO – As part of its ongoing commitment to protecting children and improving air quality, today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the selection of five applicants in California to receive over $88 million through EPA’s first Clean School Bus Program Grants Competition. The awards, made possible through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, will help selectees purchase clean school buses in eight school districts across California. By accelerating the transition to low- and zero-emission vehicles, these awards will improve air quality for children and their families and advance environmental justice while boosting the economy and creating good-paying jobs.
In addition, California is expected to receive additional funding through third-party selectees working with multiple states.
“Today we’re once again accelerating the transition to electric and low-emission school buses in America, helping to secure a healthier future where all our children can breathe cleaner air,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “I’ve sat next to students on their very first clean school bus ride and their excitement reflects the power of good policy. Thanks to President Biden’s historic investments in America, thousands more school buses will hit the road in school districts across the country, saving school districts money and improving air quality at the same time.”
“San Francisco has long been a model for the nation in building a cleaner, greener future,” Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi said. “Thanks to our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – passed by the Democratic Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden two years ago – this Clean School Bus grant from the Environmental Protection Agency will provide 37 pollution-free school buses to San Francisco. This new funding will not only make San Francisco cleaner for our children, but it will also help pave the way for a brighter future for our City.”
“California’s 12th district has led the way on zero-emission buses, and today’s announcement continues that trend,” stated Representative Barbara Lee. “The climate crisis is here, and we must do everything in our power to curtail its impacts. I’m pleased the EPA chose to invest in expanding Oakland and Alameda’s Unified school district’s electric bus fleet, and I look forward to continuing to work with the Biden administration to address the climate crisis with the urgency it deserves.”
“EPA’s Clean School Bus grant for First Student, Inc. is great news for our kids and our climate,” said Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán. “These new electric buses funded by the Jobs and Infrastructure Law will cut harmful diesel emissions for communities in Long Beach burdened with high rates of pollution and childhood asthma. It’s a win for public health and a win for our fight against the climate crisis.”
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continues to deliver for communities across America, including San Diego,” said Representative Scott Peters. “This $12.4 million grant is a win for our planet, our students’ health, and the San Diego Unified School District. I look forward to celebrating with students, parents, and local leaders when I am back in San Diego.”
"We commend the Administration's tireless work to advance the acceleration of student transportation into a green era,” stated Zum Founder and CEO Ritu Narayan. “Our goal is to ensure that all students have access to safe, reliable, and sustainable transportation, and this grant award will propel our electrification efforts in many of the districts that we serve. We are grateful and honored to be a part of this initiative."
“Los Angeles Unified is honored to accept the U.S. EPA Clean School Bus Grant,” Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said. “This $19.75M grant award will greatly help us move toward electrification and away from fossil fuels in transportation. This important investment will also provide cleaner air for our students and the communities we serve.”
“First Student looks forward to continuing our partnership with the EPA as we work to fulfill our commitment to convert 30,000 diesel school buses with clean, electric-powered school buses by 2035,” shared Chris Bokelman, Sr. Director of Marketing & Communications at First Student, Inc. “As the largest student transportation provider in the country and the leading operator of electric school buses, our team has the resources and expertise to not only bring students to and from school safely but also work with school districts, utilities, and municipalities to build the necessary charging and maintenance infrastructure for the future.”
"Receiving the Clean School Bus grant is a milestone for Porterville Unified School District,” expressed Dr. Brad Rohrbach, Ed.D., Porterville Unified School District’s Assistant Superintendent of Business Services. “This grant enables us to advance our 'Striving to Be 1st to 0' initiative, transitioning to a cleaner, more efficient transportation system while empowering our students and community through educational programs and hands-on involvement. We're thrilled to embark on this journey, reducing our carbon footprint and fostering a sustainable future for our students."
“This award will provide funding for our district to take the needed steps to reduce diesel tailpipe emissions and improve human health by replacing 30 diesel school buses with zero-emission school buses, benefitting not only the students being transported but also the district staff operating the buses and the local communities where the buses operate,” shared John Burciaga, Fleet Maintenance Manager for San Diego Unified School District. “Our school district appreciates the EPA for providing the funds that will make this purchase possible.”
The Clean School Bus Program has far-reaching effects on school districts and their communities. Air pollution from older diesel engines is linked to asthma and other conditions that harm students’ health and can cause them to miss school. Phasing out these older diesel engines, which disproportionately affect communities of color and Tribal communities, ensures cleaner air for students, bus drivers, school staff working near bus loading areas, and the communities through which the buses drive daily.
After an extensive review process, the EPA Clean School Bus Program has selected the Notice of Funding Opportunity’s top-tier California applicants to receive this historic investment. Proactive and ongoing communication with key stakeholders, like school boards and local utilities, is critical to successful bus and infrastructure deployment. To ensure the successful implementation of the selected projects funding electric buses and charging infrastructure, EPA has created a Utility Partnership Template, which encourages early and robust engagement between the applicant and their utility company. Additional details can be found in the Notice of Funding Opportunity on the Clean School Bus Program Website.
Grantees will work with their EPA Regional Project Officers to finalize project plans and purchase their awarded new buses and eligible infrastructure. The total amounts awarded and the number of buses may be adjusted as grants are finalized. EPA is partnering with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation to provide grantees with robust technical assistance to ensure effective implementation. All selectees must submit a Utility Partnership Agreement to verify that the school district’s electric utility provider knows the district’s rebate application.
EPA’s $5 billion Clean School Bus Program, created by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, includes both a grant program where selected applicants are awarded funds to purchase buses and a rebate program that allows selectees to receive awards before purchasing eligible buses that replace existing school buses with clean and zero-emission models. Today’s Clean School Bus grants are the second round of selections announced for the newly created program. EPA will make more funds available for clean school buses in additional rounds of funding.
EPA is currently accepting applications for the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program until January 31, 2024. EPA encourages applicants not selected for the 2023 Clean School Bus Grant Program – and those who did not apply – to participate in current and future funding rounds. Once the application period for the 2023 rebate program closes and the school districts selected are notified, school districts can proceed with purchasing new buses and eligible infrastructure. Selectees must submit Payment Request Forms with purchase orders demonstrating they have ordered new buses and eligible infrastructure. After the selectees submit the proper forms, they will be eligible to receive rebate funds. All selectees must submit a Utility Partnership Agreement to verify that the school district’s electric utility provider is aware of the school district’s rebate application.
To learn more about the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program, applicant eligibility, selection process, and informational webinar dates for future rounds of funding, visit the Clean School Bus Program website. Questions about applying for funding may be directed to cleanschoolbus@epa.gov. Questions about Clean School Bus Program technical assistance may be directed to CleanSchoolBusTA@nrel.gov.
About the Clean School Bus Program
EPA’s Clean School Bus Program was adopted under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides an unprecedented $5 billion of funding to transform the nation’s fleet of school buses. The Clean School Bus Program funds electric buses, producing zero tailpipe emissions and propane and compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, resulting in lower tailpipe emissions compared to their older diesel predecessors.
The Clean School Bus Program will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save money for school districts, and produce cleaner air. Air pollution from older diesel engines is linked to asthma and other conditions that harm students’ health and cause them to miss school, particularly in communities of color and Tribal communities. Efforts to minimize the effects of these older diesel engines will ensure cleaner air for students, bus drivers, and school staff working near the bus loading areas and the communities through which the buses drive each day.
The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from these bus replacements will also help to address the outsized role of the transportation sector in fueling the climate crisis. The Program will benefit school districts as they upgrade to cost-saving and fuel-efficient school bus fleets by replacing existing buses with new zero-emission and clean school buses and freeing up needed resources for schools.
In April 2023, EPA announced the availability of at least $400 million for its 2023 Clean School Bus Grants through a Notice of Funding Opportunity. The grant application period closed in August 2023 with an outstanding response from applicants seeking to purchase electric and low-emission school buses. Given the overwhelming demand and high-scoring applications, including applicants in low-income communities, Tribal nations, and territories, EPA has nearly doubled the funding awarded this round to approximately $965 million. These awards follow over $875 million obligated to new buses from the Clean School Bus Program’s 2022 Rebates, which funded the replacement of 2,366 buses at 372 school districts to further improve air quality in and around schools, to reduce greenhouse gas pollution fueling the climate crisis, and help accelerate America’s leadership in developing the clean vehicles of the future.
Prioritized school districts in low-income, rural, and/or Tribal communities comprise approximately 86% of the projects selected for funding. The program delivers on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution. For more information, please email CleanSchoolBus@epa.gov.
View the complete list of Clean School Bus grantees here.
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