USA reserves almost one billion dollars for clean school buses
According to the EPA, interested parties can apply for a maximum of 325,000 dollars per zero-emission bus until 9 January 2025. Funding is available for purely electric, propane, and compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, with the former accounting for the lion’s share. What is new in the fourth round of the programme is that the EPA can approve funding for up to 50 buses per application. According to the authority, this is in response to the interest groups’ desire for larger projects. The funds provided can be used to cover both bus and infrastructure or training costs.
The ‘Clean School Bus Rebate Programme’ is part of US President Joe Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure bill and is intended to accelerate the transition of the almost 500,000 school buses in America. In the first three funding rounds of the programme, the EPA says it has already awarded nearly three billion dollars in subsidies for around 8,700 “school bus replacements,” – 95 per cent of which were battery-electric vehicles. “Funding has been awarded to nearly 1,300 school districts in nearly all 50 states and Washington DC, along with several federally recognized Tribes and US territories,” according to the current interim report.
In addition to the grants, grantees may also qualify for tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act, up to $40,000. “Over the past three years, we’ve seen tremendous interest from schools across the country to upgrade to clean and zero-emission buses,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Thousands of new buses on the road mean our children are breathing cleaner air on their way to and from school, their communities are seeing cleaner air and less climate pollution, and schools are supporting good paying American jobs.”
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