- The EPA has kickstarted a Clean School Bus Program, which provides money to help school districts change to clean energy school buses.
- The program has a requirement that old diesel buses must be scrapped in order to be replaced with clean energy ones. However, bus districts impacted in environmental justice communities may not be able to participate in the program as they typically do not own their own buses.
- The requirement is said to be “unnecessary” and only further isolated the districts that are most in need of just transition.
By: Inside Climate News | January 9, 2023
Low-income districts that use contractors for busing students say an EPA requirement that they scrap old buses keeps them from getting funds.
Part of the bipartisan infrastructure law passed last year, the program will provide $5 billion over the next five years to help school districts switch to clean energy school buses. However, some districts are blocked from participating due to the EPA’s requirement that they scrap their old buses.
Critics say this requirement is an unnecessary barrier to school districts getting funding for clean-energy buses, which can reduce health risks from air pollution and help combat climate change.
For the first round of funding, districts could apply for grants to replace up to 25 diesel school buses with electric buses or low-emission buses that run on propane or compressed natural gas. However, they had to identify diesel buses that they would be replacing with these clean-energy buses. This was a barrier for districts that don’t own their own buses…
Electric school buses have a number of benefits. They have a lower carbon footprint than diesel buses, and their batteries can also return energy to the electric grid during times of peak use, further reducing emissions. The decreased air pollution also reduces health risks for both children and the community.
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