The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this week announced more than $91 million in rebates for school districts across California to purchase electric school buses.
Most school buses run on diesel. Diesel engine emissions have been linked to asthma and other health problems, and efforts are underway to reduce them to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to the EPA, these problems are often worse in communities of color and tribal communities.
Of the 47 selected school districts in California, four were in the Bay Area and Central Coast region.
The rebates were part of a total $900 million in funding nationwide from the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program, which went to 1,500 applicants and will fund 3,400 new buses.
Salinas City Elementary School District in Monterey County will receive more than $1.5 million for 10 new buses.
Cabrillo Unified School District in San Mateo County received $1.4 million, while San Mateo Union High School District can purchase five new buses with a $950,000 award.
The Old Adobe Union School District in Sonoma County received $200,000 from the single bus grant program.
U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler, D-Calif., said the buses would help students live healthier lives.
“Preparing California’s schoolchildren for a successful day of learning starts with a cleaner commute,” says Padilla.
“The Clean School Bus Program is a critical down payment in the transition to zero-emission buses, which is especially important for lower-income communities that experience some of the worst air quality in our country,” Padilla said.
Butler said she welcomed the awards.
“These federal dollars will deliver targeted investments to the school districts most in need, making access to cleaner transportation equitable for all Californians,” Butler said.
The funding was provided as part of the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed in 2021.
EPA’s Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman said the buses would make a noticeable difference in air quality.
“I have seen first-hand the benefits of these electric buses, with the absence of harmful diesel emissions benefiting students, school staff and neighboring communities. These investments will put more electric school buses on the road in school districts across California,” Guzman said.
Recipients were selected through a lottery system, with 45% of recipients selected from counties in rural, low-income or tribal communities, according to the EPA.
