Biden-Harris Administration Announces $6,900,000 for New Mexico School to Purchase Clean School Buses as Part of the Investing in America Agenda
Publilshed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
DALLAS, TEXAS (May 30, 2024) — The Biden-Harris Administration announced the recipients of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2023 Clean School Bus Program rebate competition, funded by President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. EPA selected the Albuquerque Public School to receive $6,900,000 to purchase 20 new and clean school buses 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 Derrick Johnson, and U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson joined schoolchildren, district leaders, and community members in Jackson, Mississippi, 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.”
“Today’s announcement is good news for children in New Mexico, especially those in underserved areas who are often exposed to more air pollution and health risks such as asthma,” said Region 6 Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “Replacing diesel fueled buses with clean school buses reduces harmful emissions and improves air quality in communities throughout the nation. I want to offer our congratulations to the selected school districts for their partnership and for implementing environmentally friendly practices.”
“I’m proud to welcome nearly $7 million in funding from the Biden administration to help fund a new fleet of electric school buses at Albuquerque Public Schools,” said U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (NM). “Through their daily commutes, students spend a large amount of their time on school buses and deserve clean air to breathe around schools and their communities. That’s why I’m honored to welcome this critical funding that will add more clean school buses in Albuquerque.”
“Electrifying school buses is about making sure our kids aren’t breathing in dangerous diesel fumes. This new funding will protect our kids’ health, make our air cleaner, and save taxpayer money. This is the latest example of how our Infrastructure Law is building a better, healthier future for New Mexico’s children,” said U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (NM).
“I’m proud to welcome $6.9 million in funding and 20 new electric school buses from the EPA for Albuquerque Public Schools! Pollution levels inside school buses are often higher than outside, posing a significant health risk to our kids. This funding is a critical step towards addressing this issue, supporting our environment and ensuring a healthier future for our children,” said Rep. Gabe Vasquez (NM).
“The Biden Administration is providing a game changer for New Mexico and Albuquerque Public Schools,” said Rep. Melanie Stansbury (NM). “Each day, our buses take students all over cities—ensuring their safe travel to and from schools, and this $6.9 million plus the 20 electric school buses transforms the effect these buses have on our local environments—for the better. This investment is another example of how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law positively impacts New Mexico.”
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 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 here – https://www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus/clean-school-bus-program-awards.
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Read the full article at: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/biden-harris-administration-announces-6900000-new-mexico-school-purchase-clean-school
