(AGENPARL) – lun 08 gennaio 2024 Issued: Jan 8, 2024 (12:31pm EST)
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Biden-Harris Administration Announces Nearly $90 Million Across California for
Clean School Buses as Part of the Investing in America Agenda
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.
Zum Services Inc. has been selected to receive $26,579,482 to purchase 80
clean school buses.
Porterville Unified School District has been selected to receive $13,856,664
to purchase 35 clean school buses.
Los Angeles Unified School District has been selected to receive $19,750,000
to purchase 50 clean school buses.
San Diego Unified School District has been selected to receive $12,431,000 to
purchase 30 clean school buses.
Kern High School District has been selected to receive $15,405,000 to purchase
39 clean school buses.
In addition, California is expected to receive additional funding through
third-party selectees working with multiple states.
First Student Inc. is receiving $15,775,000 to purchase 45 buses in California
and Arizona.
“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
about Clean School Bus Program technical assistance may be directed to
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
View the complete list of Clean School Bus grantees here.
Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us
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