Students to benefit from a cleaner ride to school thanks to federal funding under the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Program
WASHINGTON (December 11, 2024) — Students in dozens of school districts across the country will soon be breathing cleaner air thanks to $490 million in EPA grants for 1,634 electric school buses sought by school districts and local governments nationwide.
The Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Program, established through the Inflation Reduction Act, will fund electric school buses and trucks across the country in response to hundreds of millions of dollars in applications from local entities. Overall, the program awarded approximately $735 million in grants for zero-tailpipe-emission heavy-duty vehicles and related charging infrastructure, including electric school buses and vocational vehicles like box trucks and refuse haulers.
The demand for electric school bus and truck funds shows the continued enthusiasm for clean, reliable heavy-duty vehicles in communities across the country, building on the more than 8,000 electric school buses funded through the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program so far.
Following is a statement from Sue Gander, Director of WRI’s Electric School Bus Initiative:
“The dirty fumes of diesel school bus exhaust will soon be in the rearview mirror for more kids across the country. This new funding from the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicle Program means thousands more children will be breathing cleaner air on their way to and from school.
“We know that diesel exhaust pollution is tied to asthma, which is a leading cause for absenteeism and is a concern for parents, teachers and communities. But with an electric school bus, kids can come to school ready to learn. This is especially important in underserved communities which already face higher levels of on-road air pollution.
“When you consider the health benefits, the thousands of dollars in operational cost savings and the potential for these buses to serve as a source of backup power in emergencies, it’s not surprising to see so many school districts, states and towns raise their hands for electric school buses.
“School districts and governments in states across the country — from North Carolina and Indiana to Utah and Washington — all applied for electric school bus funding. Now, they’ll be bringing clean rides to more children.”
Media contact: Tom Meyer, tom.meyer@wri.org