Biden-Harris Administration announces over $24 million in rebates for clean school buses across Washington
Publilshed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
SEATTLE (May 29, 2024) – Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the recipients of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2023 Clean School Bus Program rebate competition. In Washington, 16 school districts will receive over $24 million to replace 111 older school buses with new electric or propane buses. The Program will help Washington accelerate the transition to zero emission vehicles and to replace older, diesel fueled school buses, which have been linked to asthma and other conditions that harm the health of students and surrounding communities.
“EPA’s Clean School Bus Program is a breath of fresh air for our students, schools and communities,” said EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller. “Diesel pollution is linked to asthma and other conditions that harm students’ health, with impacts felt disproportionately in communities of color and Tribal communities. Clean School Bus grants provide much-needed resources for school districts to upgrade aging fleets, replacing diesel buses with new zero-emission and clean school buses. Pulling older diesel buses off the road will ensure cleaner air for students, bus drivers, and school staff.”
“I am excited to announce that dozens of clean school buses will soon be heading to communities across Washington state thanks to funding from my Clean School Bus Act,” said Senator Patty Murray. “Clean school buses are a huge improvement over diesel buses—they’re better for the environment, better for public health, they save school districts money on fuel, and we’re building them here in America—which is why I worked so hard to get my bill passed as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Soon, kids from Seattle to Spokane will be riding to school in clean buses and breathing in cleaner air as a result. This is a big win for our kids, our environment, and our economy—and I’m proud to have helped make it happen.”
- Seattle School District No. 1 has been selected to receive $7,825,000 in rebate funding to purchase 25 electric school buses.
- Spokane School District has been selected to receive $9,125,000 in rebate funding to purchase 25 electric school buses.
- Lake Washington School District has been selected to receive $690,000 in rebate funding to purchase two electric school buses.
- Liberty School District has been selected to receive $200,000 in rebate funding to purchase one electric school bus.
- Republic School District has been selected to receive $345,000 in rebate funding to purchase one electric school bus.
- College Place School District has been selected to receive $400,000 in rebate funding to purchase two electric school buses.
- North Shore School District has been selected to receive $600,000 in rebate funding to purchase three electric school buses.
- Issaquah School District has been selected to receive $1,035,000 in rebate funding to purchase six electric school buses.
- Woodland School District has been selected to receive $2,800,000 in rebate funding to purchase 14 electric school buses.
- Sultan School District has been selected to receive $200,000 in rebate funding to purchase one electric school bus.
- Northport School District has been selected to receive $345,000 in rebate funding to purchase one electric school bus.
- Oak Harbor School District has been selected to receive $75,000 in rebate funding to purchase three propane school buses.
- Snohomish School District has been selected to receive $275,000 in rebate funding to purchase 11 propane school buses.
- Mount Vernon School District has been selected to receive $100,000 in rebate funding to purchase four propane school buses.
- Sedro-Woolley School District has been selected to receive $50,000 in rebate funding to purchase two propane school buses.
- Peninsula School District has been selected to receive $250,000 in rebate funding to purchase 10 propane school buses.
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 outstanding response from school districts across the country seeking to purchase electric and clean school buses. Given the overwhelming demand, including in low-income communities and Tribal nations, EPA doubled the amount of available funding to nearly $1 billion.
This third round of funding will build on the previous almost $2 billion investment via the 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 today will provide funds to school districts in 47 states, along with several federally recognized Tribes. 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.
EPA will make more funds available for clean school buses this year. There is a small subset of tentatively selected applicants still engaged in the application review process. EPA is working with them and will notify these applicants of an award if their application meets all program requirements. As additional selections are finalized, EPA will update the CSB webpage.
EPA will also make selections through additional rounds of funding, as well as through other funding programs. For example, EPA is currently accepting applications for the 2024 Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program until July 25 – with EPA offering nearly $1 billion in available grant funding and anticipates approximately 70% of the available funding to fund new, zero-emission Class 6 or 7 school buses. 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.
View the full list of Clean School Bus Program awards here – epa.gov/cleanschoolbus/clean-school-bus-program-awards.
Read the full article at: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/biden-harris-administration-announces-over-24-million-rebates-clean-school-buses
