(AGENPARL) – mer 29 maggio 2024 Issued: May 29, 2024 (9:09am EDT)
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Biden-Harris Administration Announces Recipients of nearly $900 Million for
Clean School Buses Under President’s Investing in America Agenda
EPA’s Clean School Bus Rebate Program to fund over 3,400 new clean school
buses in approximately 530 districts across the nation
WASHINGTON — Today, May 29, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the
recipients of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2023 Clean School
Bus Program rebate competition, funded by President Biden’s Investing in
America agenda. EPA selected approximately 530 school districts spanning
nearly every state, Washington, D.C., and several Tribes and U.S. territories
to receive nearly $900 million in funds to replace older, diesel fueled school
buses that have been linked to asthma and other conditions that harm the
health of students and surrounding communities.
These rebates will help school districts purchase over 3,400 clean school
buses—92% of which will be electric— to accelerate the transition to zero
emission vehicles and produce cleaner air in and around schools and
communities. Under the Program’s multiple grant and rebate funding
opportunities to date, the EPA has awarded almost $3 billion to fund
approximately 8,500 school bus replacements at over 1,000 schools.
EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan, NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson
and U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson will join schoolchildren, district
leaders and community members in Jackson, Mississippi, later today to make the
announcement and highlight how the program will reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, save schools money, and better protect children’s health,
especially in communities already overburdened by pollution. The investment
will also drive demand for American-made batteries and vehicles, boost
domestic manufacturing, and create good-paying jobs for Americans.
“President Biden believes every child deserves the opportunity to lead a
healthy life and breathe clean air, and his Investing in America agenda is
designed to deliver just that,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan.
“With today’s latest round of funding, we are transforming the nation’s
school bus fleet to better protect our most precious cargo—our kids—saving
school districts money, improving air quality, and bolstering American
manufacturing all at the same time.”
“I am grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration for expanding
opportunities to provide clean school buses to schools and students in
Mississippi’s Second Congressional District,” said Congressman Bennie G.
Thompson. “This initiative ensures that children have a cleaner, safer, and
more efficient means of school transportation and contributes to protecting
our environment. By making meaningful progress and offering valuable
opportunities for our students, we are paving the way toward stronger student
success.”
In September 2023, the EPA announced the availability of at least $500 million
for its 2023 Clean School Bus rebates. The rebate application period closed in
February 2024 with an overwhelming response from school districts across the
country seeking to purchase electric and clean school buses. Given the level
of demand, including from low-income communities, Tribal nations and U.S.
territories, the EPA doubled the initial amount of available funding in this
round to a total of nearly $1 billion. 
This third round of funding will build on the previous investments of almost
$2 billion via the Clean School Bus Program’s 2022 Rebates and 2023 Grants
to further improve air quality in and around schools, reduce greenhouse gas
pollution fueling the climate crisis, and help accelerate America’s
leadership in developing the clean vehicles of the future.
The selections announced today will provide funds to school districts in 47
states and Washington D.C., along with several federally recognized Tribes and
U.S. territories. Prioritized school districts in low-income, rural and Tribal
communities make up approximately 45 percent of the selected projects and will
receive approximately 67 percent of the total funding. The program advances
President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40 percent of
the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged
communities that are marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution.
The EPA is also partnering with other federal agencies through the Joint
Office of Energy and Transportation to provide school districts with robust
technical assistance to ensure effective implementation.
The EPA is continuing to review selected applications and may make additional
awards from this announcement. The EPA is working with those applicants and
will notify them of an award if their application meets all program
requirements. As additional selections are finalized, the EPA will update the
CSB Awards webpage.
The EPA will also make selections through additional rounds of funding, as
well as through other funding programs. For example, the EPA is currently
accepting applications for the 2024 Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program
until 11:59 PM ET on July 25, 2024 – with the EPA offering up to $932
million in available grant funding and anticipates approximately 70% of the
available funding to help pay for new, zero-emission Class 6 or 7 school
buses. The EPA encourages school districts not selected for the 2023 CSB
Rebate Program – and those that did not apply – to participate in
currently open funding programs, and future CSB funding rounds.
About the Clean School Bus Program
The EPA Clean School Bus Program was created by 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, which produce zero tailpipe emissions, as well as
propane and compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, which produce 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. Diesel air pollution 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.
Phasing out 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 Clean School Bus Program will save school districts
money as they upgrade school bus fleets, replacing existing buses with brand
new zero-emission and clean school buses, while freeing up needed resources
for schools.
View the full list of Clean School Bus Program awards.
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