QB 24-103 2024 Australia FTA
Commodities:
Agricultural products described in Chapter 98, Subchapter XXII, U.S. Notes 8 through 19
Quota Period:
January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024
Opening Date:
Tuesday, January 2, 2024
Restraint Level:
Goods qualifying under…
Agricultural products described in Chapter 98, Subchapter XXII, U.S. Notes 8 through 19
Quota Period:
January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024
Opening Date:
Tuesday, January 2, 2024
Restraint Level:
Goods qualifying under…
Biden-Harris Administration announces Montana to receive funding for 41 Clean School Buses as part of Investing in America Agenda
Helena, Mont. – As part of its ongoing commitment to protecting children and improving air quality, today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced seven Montana school districts will receive funding for a total of 41 buses through EPA’s first Clean School Bus Program Grants Competition.
The awards, which are made possible through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, will help selectees secure clean school buses provided by Harlow’s Bus Sales. Harlow’s will receive $13,622,375 to purchase 41 clean school buses for school districts in Montana and one clean school bus for a school district in North Dakota. By accelerating the transition to low- and zero-emission vehicles, these awards will improve air quality for children and their families and advance environmental justice, all while boosting the economy and creating good-paying jobs.
Montana recipients include:
St. Regis School District has been selected to receive two clean school buses.
Dixon Public School has been selected to receive one clean school buses.
Plains Public School has been selected to receive six clean school buses.
Trout Creek Public School has been selected to receive three clean school buses.
Thompson Falls Public School has been selected to receive eight clean school buses.
Florence-Carlton has been selected to receive 11 clean school buses.
Hamilton K-12 has been selected to receive ten clean school buses.
“Today we’re once again accelerating the transition to electric and low-emission school buses in America, helping to secure a healthier future where all our children can breathe cleaner air,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “I’ve sat next to students on their very first clean school bus ride and their excitement reflects the power of good policy. Thanks to President Biden’s historic investments in America, thousands more school buses will hit the road in school districts across the country, saving school districts money and improving air quality at the same time.”
“EPA and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continue to transform our school bus fleets and protect the health of children, families and those who serve our schools,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “These investments will eliminate harmful diesel pollution and create safer, healthier environments in communities across Montana.”
“In rural Montana, school buses are the vital link between families and the nearest school -- and it’s critical that these buses are safe, up-to-date, and efficient,” said U.S. Senator Jon Tester. “I’m proud to see my Bipartisan Infrastructure Law deliver these important funds to get kids to school safely and keep the air in our communities clean.”
The Clean School Bus Program is having far-reaching effects across school districts and their surrounding communities. Air pollution from older diesel engines is linked to asthma and other conditions that harm students’ health and can cause them to miss school. Phasing out these older diesel engines, which disproportionately affect communities of color and Tribal communities, ensures cleaner air for students, bus drivers, school staff working near bus loading areas, and the communities through which the buses drive each day.
After an extensive review process, the EPA Clean School Bus Program has selected the Notice of Funding Opportunity’s top-tier Montana applicants to receive this historic investment in their community.
Proactive and ongoing communication with key stakeholders, like school boards and local utilities, is critical to successful bus and infrastructure deployment. To ensure the successful implementation of the selected projects funding electric buses and charging infrastructure, EPA has created a Utility Partnership Template which encourages early and robust engagement between the applicant and their utility company. Additional details can be found in the Notice of Funding Opportunity on the Clean School Bus Program Website.
Grantees will work with their EPA Regional Project Officers to finalize project plans and purchase their awarded new buses and eligible infrastructure. As grants are finalized, total award amounts and number of buses may be adjusted. EPA is also partnering with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation to provide grantees with robust technical assistance to ensure effective implementation. All selectees must submit a Utility Partnership Agreement to verify that the school district’s electric utility provider is aware of the school district’s rebate application.
EPA’s $5 billion Clean School Bus Program, created by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, includes both a grant program where selected applicants are awarded funds to purchase buses, and a rebate program that allows selectees to receive awards before purchasing eligible buses that replace existing school buses with clean and zero-emission models. Today’s Clean School Bus grants are the second round of selections announced for the newly created program. EPA will make more funds available for clean school buses in additional rounds of funding.
EPA is currently accepting applications for the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program until January 31, 2024. EPA encourages applicants not selected for the 2023 Clean School Bus Grant Program – and those that did not apply – to participate in current and future funding rounds. Once the application period for the 2023 rebate program closes and the school districts selected are notified, school districts can proceed with purchasing new buses and eligible infrastructure. Selectees will need to submit Payment Request Forms with purchase orders demonstrating they have ordered new buses and eligible infrastructure. After the selectees submit the proper forms, they will be eligible to receive rebate funds. All selectees must submit a Utility Partnership Agreement to verify that the school district’s electric utility provider is aware of the school district’s rebate application.
To learn more about the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program, applicant eligibility, selection process, and informational webinar dates for future rounds of funding, visit the Clean School Bus Program website. Questions about applying for funding may be directed to cleanschoolbus@epa.gov. Questions about Clean School Bus Program technical assistance may be directed to CleanSchoolBusTA@nrel.gov.
About the Clean School Bus Program
EPA’s Clean School Bus Program was adopted under 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, producing zero tailpipe emissions, as well as propane and compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, resulting in 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. Air pollution from older diesel engines 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. Efforts to minimize the effects of 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 Program will benefit school districts as they upgrade to cost saving and fuel-efficient school bus fleets, by replacing existing buses with brand new zero-emission and clean school buses and freeing up needed resources for schools. In April 2023, EPA announced the availability of at least $400 million for its 2023 Clean School Bus Grants through a Notice of Funding Opportunity. The grant application period closed in August 2023 with an outstanding response from applicants seeking to purchase electric and low-emission school buses. Given the overwhelming demand and high-scoring applications, including applicants in low-income communities, Tribal nations and territories, EPA has nearly doubled the amount of funding that will be awarded this round to approximately $965 million. These awards follow over $875 million obligated to new buses from the Clean School Bus Program’s 2022 Rebates, which funded the replacement of 2,366 buses at 372 school districts to further improve air quality in and around schools, to reduce greenhouse gas pollution fueling the climate crisis, and help accelerate America’s leadership in developing the clean vehicles of the future.
Prioritized school districts in low-income, rural, and/or Tribal communities make up approximately 86% of the projects selected for funding. The program delivers on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution.
For more information, please email CleanSchoolBus@epa.gov.
View the full list of Clean School Bus grantees here.
The awards, which are made possible through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, will help selectees secure clean school buses provided by Harlow’s Bus Sales. Harlow’s will receive $13,622,375 to purchase 41 clean school buses for school districts in Montana and one clean school bus for a school district in North Dakota. By accelerating the transition to low- and zero-emission vehicles, these awards will improve air quality for children and their families and advance environmental justice, all while boosting the economy and creating good-paying jobs.
Montana recipients include:
St. Regis School District has been selected to receive two clean school buses.
Dixon Public School has been selected to receive one clean school buses.
Plains Public School has been selected to receive six clean school buses.
Trout Creek Public School has been selected to receive three clean school buses.
Thompson Falls Public School has been selected to receive eight clean school buses.
Florence-Carlton has been selected to receive 11 clean school buses.
Hamilton K-12 has been selected to receive ten clean school buses.
“Today we’re once again accelerating the transition to electric and low-emission school buses in America, helping to secure a healthier future where all our children can breathe cleaner air,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “I’ve sat next to students on their very first clean school bus ride and their excitement reflects the power of good policy. Thanks to President Biden’s historic investments in America, thousands more school buses will hit the road in school districts across the country, saving school districts money and improving air quality at the same time.”
“EPA and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continue to transform our school bus fleets and protect the health of children, families and those who serve our schools,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “These investments will eliminate harmful diesel pollution and create safer, healthier environments in communities across Montana.”
“In rural Montana, school buses are the vital link between families and the nearest school -- and it’s critical that these buses are safe, up-to-date, and efficient,” said U.S. Senator Jon Tester. “I’m proud to see my Bipartisan Infrastructure Law deliver these important funds to get kids to school safely and keep the air in our communities clean.”
The Clean School Bus Program is having far-reaching effects across school districts and their surrounding communities. Air pollution from older diesel engines is linked to asthma and other conditions that harm students’ health and can cause them to miss school. Phasing out these older diesel engines, which disproportionately affect communities of color and Tribal communities, ensures cleaner air for students, bus drivers, school staff working near bus loading areas, and the communities through which the buses drive each day.
After an extensive review process, the EPA Clean School Bus Program has selected the Notice of Funding Opportunity’s top-tier Montana applicants to receive this historic investment in their community.
Proactive and ongoing communication with key stakeholders, like school boards and local utilities, is critical to successful bus and infrastructure deployment. To ensure the successful implementation of the selected projects funding electric buses and charging infrastructure, EPA has created a Utility Partnership Template which encourages early and robust engagement between the applicant and their utility company. Additional details can be found in the Notice of Funding Opportunity on the Clean School Bus Program Website.
Grantees will work with their EPA Regional Project Officers to finalize project plans and purchase their awarded new buses and eligible infrastructure. As grants are finalized, total award amounts and number of buses may be adjusted. EPA is also partnering with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation to provide grantees with robust technical assistance to ensure effective implementation. All selectees must submit a Utility Partnership Agreement to verify that the school district’s electric utility provider is aware of the school district’s rebate application.
EPA’s $5 billion Clean School Bus Program, created by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, includes both a grant program where selected applicants are awarded funds to purchase buses, and a rebate program that allows selectees to receive awards before purchasing eligible buses that replace existing school buses with clean and zero-emission models. Today’s Clean School Bus grants are the second round of selections announced for the newly created program. EPA will make more funds available for clean school buses in additional rounds of funding.
EPA is currently accepting applications for the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program until January 31, 2024. EPA encourages applicants not selected for the 2023 Clean School Bus Grant Program – and those that did not apply – to participate in current and future funding rounds. Once the application period for the 2023 rebate program closes and the school districts selected are notified, school districts can proceed with purchasing new buses and eligible infrastructure. Selectees will need to submit Payment Request Forms with purchase orders demonstrating they have ordered new buses and eligible infrastructure. After the selectees submit the proper forms, they will be eligible to receive rebate funds. All selectees must submit a Utility Partnership Agreement to verify that the school district’s electric utility provider is aware of the school district’s rebate application.
To learn more about the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program, applicant eligibility, selection process, and informational webinar dates for future rounds of funding, visit the Clean School Bus Program website. Questions about applying for funding may be directed to cleanschoolbus@epa.gov. Questions about Clean School Bus Program technical assistance may be directed to CleanSchoolBusTA@nrel.gov.
About the Clean School Bus Program
EPA’s Clean School Bus Program was adopted under 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, producing zero tailpipe emissions, as well as propane and compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, resulting in 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. Air pollution from older diesel engines 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. Efforts to minimize the effects of 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 Program will benefit school districts as they upgrade to cost saving and fuel-efficient school bus fleets, by replacing existing buses with brand new zero-emission and clean school buses and freeing up needed resources for schools. In April 2023, EPA announced the availability of at least $400 million for its 2023 Clean School Bus Grants through a Notice of Funding Opportunity. The grant application period closed in August 2023 with an outstanding response from applicants seeking to purchase electric and low-emission school buses. Given the overwhelming demand and high-scoring applications, including applicants in low-income communities, Tribal nations and territories, EPA has nearly doubled the amount of funding that will be awarded this round to approximately $965 million. These awards follow over $875 million obligated to new buses from the Clean School Bus Program’s 2022 Rebates, which funded the replacement of 2,366 buses at 372 school districts to further improve air quality in and around schools, to reduce greenhouse gas pollution fueling the climate crisis, and help accelerate America’s leadership in developing the clean vehicles of the future.
Prioritized school districts in low-income, rural, and/or Tribal communities make up approximately 86% of the projects selected for funding. The program delivers on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution.
For more information, please email CleanSchoolBus@epa.gov.
View the full list of Clean School Bus grantees here.
EPA Announces Over $5.9M in Awards for Clean School Buses in Iowa, as Part of Investing in America Agenda
LENEXA, KAN. (JAN. 9, 2024) – As part of its ongoing commitment to protecting children and improving air quality, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the selection of Sioux City Community School District to receive $5,925,000 to purchase over 15 clean school buses through EPA’s first Clean School Bus Program Grants Competition. This award is made possible by President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda.
By accelerating the transition to low- and zero-emission vehicles, these awards will improve air quality for children and their families and advance environmental justice, all while boosting the economy and creating good-paying jobs.
“Today, we’re once again accelerating the transition to electric and low-emission school buses in America, helping to secure a healthier future where all our children can breathe cleaner air,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “I’ve sat next to students on their very first clean school bus ride and their excitement reflects the power of good policy. Thanks to President Biden’s historic investments in America, thousands more school buses will hit the road in school districts across the country, saving school districts money and improving air quality at the same time.”
“Children and school staff across the Heartland will breathe cleaner, less polluted air, thanks to this electric school bus funding,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meghan A. McCollister. “Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA is investing in a healthier future for all.”
“We are pleased to receive funding through the Clean School Bus Program,” said Sioux City Community School District Superintendent Dr. Rod Earleywine. “As one of Iowa’s largest school districts, we have thousands of students who rely on busing transportation throughout the school year. The Clean School Bus Grant not only supports our district’s longtime commitment to energy conservation, but also provides lasting health benefits for our students through zero-emission school buses.”
The Clean School Bus Program is having far-reaching effects across school districts and their surrounding communities. Air pollution from older diesel engines is linked to asthma and other conditions that harm students’ health and can cause them to miss school. Phasing out these older diesel engines, which disproportionately affect communities of color and tribal communities, ensures cleaner air for students, bus drivers, school staff working near bus loading areas, and the communities through which the buses drive each day.
After an extensive review process, the EPA Clean School Bus Program has selected the Notice of Funding Opportunity’s top-tier Missouri applicants to receive this historic investment in their communities.
Proactive and ongoing communication with key stakeholders, like school boards and local utilities, is critical to successful bus and infrastructure deployment. To ensure the successful implementation of the selected projects funding electric buses and charging infrastructure, EPA has created a Utility Partnership Template, which encourages early and robust engagement between the applicant and their utility company. Additional details can be found in the Notice of Funding Opportunity on the Clean School Bus Program website.
Grantees will work with their EPA regional project officers to finalize project plans and purchase their awarded new buses and eligible infrastructure. As grants are finalized, total amounts awarded and number of buses may be adjusted. EPA is also partnering with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation to provide grantees with robust technical assistance to ensure effective implementation. All selectees must submit a Utility Partnership Agreement to verify that the school district’s electric utility provider is aware of the school district’s application for funding.
EPA’s $5 billion Clean School Bus Program, created by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, includes both a grant program where selected applicants are awarded funds to purchase buses, and a rebate program that allows selectees to receive awards before purchasing eligible buses that replace existing school buses with clean and zero-emission models. Today’s Clean School Bus Grants are the second round of selections announced for the newly created program. EPA will make more funds available for clean school buses in additional rounds of funding.
EPA is currently accepting applications for the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program until Jan. 31, 2024. EPA encourages applicants not selected for the 2023 Clean School Bus Grant Program – and those that did not apply – to participate in current and future funding rounds. Once the application period for the 2023 rebate program closes and the selected school districts are notified, those districts can proceed with purchasing new buses and eligible infrastructure. Selectees will need to submit Payment Request Forms with purchase orders demonstrating they have ordered those buses and infrastructure. After the selectees submit the proper forms, they will be eligible to receive rebate funds. All selectees must submit a Utility Partnership Agreement to verify that the school district’s electric utility provider is aware of the district’s rebate application.
To learn more about the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program, including applicant eligibility, selection process, and informational webinar dates for future rounds of funding, visit the Clean School Bus Program website. Questions about applying for funding may be directed to cleanschoolbus@epa.gov. Questions about Clean School Bus Program technical assistance may be directed to CleanSchoolBusTA@nrel.gov.
About the Clean School Bus Program
EPA’s Clean School Bus Program was adopted under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides an unprecedented $5 billion of funding to transform the nation’s fleet of school buses. The program funds electric buses, producing zero tailpipe emissions, as well as propane and compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, resulting in 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. Air pollution from older diesel engines 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. Efforts to minimize the effects of 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 program will benefit school districts as they upgrade to cost-saving, fuel-efficient school bus fleets by replacing existing buses with brand new zero-emission and clean school buses and freeing up needed resources for schools.
In April 2023, EPA announced the availability of at least $400 million for its 2023 Clean School Bus Grants through a Notice of Funding Opportunity. The grant application period closed in August 2023 with an outstanding response from applicants seeking to purchase electric and low-emission school buses. Given the overwhelming demand and high-scoring applications, including applicants in low-income communities, tribal nations, and territories, EPA has nearly doubled the amount of funding that will be awarded this round to approximately $965 million.
These awards follow over $875 million obligated to new buses from the Clean School Bus Program’s 2022 rebates, which funded the replacement of 2,366 buses at 372 school districts 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.
Prioritized school districts in low-income, rural, and/or tribal communities make up approximately 86% of the projects selected for funding. The program delivers on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution.
For more information, please email CleanSchoolBus@epa.gov.
View the full list of Clean School Bus Grantees.
# # #
Learn more about EPA Region 7
View all Region 7 news releases
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter: @EPARegion7
By accelerating the transition to low- and zero-emission vehicles, these awards will improve air quality for children and their families and advance environmental justice, all while boosting the economy and creating good-paying jobs.
“Today, we’re once again accelerating the transition to electric and low-emission school buses in America, helping to secure a healthier future where all our children can breathe cleaner air,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “I’ve sat next to students on their very first clean school bus ride and their excitement reflects the power of good policy. Thanks to President Biden’s historic investments in America, thousands more school buses will hit the road in school districts across the country, saving school districts money and improving air quality at the same time.”
“Children and school staff across the Heartland will breathe cleaner, less polluted air, thanks to this electric school bus funding,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meghan A. McCollister. “Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA is investing in a healthier future for all.”
“We are pleased to receive funding through the Clean School Bus Program,” said Sioux City Community School District Superintendent Dr. Rod Earleywine. “As one of Iowa’s largest school districts, we have thousands of students who rely on busing transportation throughout the school year. The Clean School Bus Grant not only supports our district’s longtime commitment to energy conservation, but also provides lasting health benefits for our students through zero-emission school buses.”
The Clean School Bus Program is having far-reaching effects across school districts and their surrounding communities. Air pollution from older diesel engines is linked to asthma and other conditions that harm students’ health and can cause them to miss school. Phasing out these older diesel engines, which disproportionately affect communities of color and tribal communities, ensures cleaner air for students, bus drivers, school staff working near bus loading areas, and the communities through which the buses drive each day.
After an extensive review process, the EPA Clean School Bus Program has selected the Notice of Funding Opportunity’s top-tier Missouri applicants to receive this historic investment in their communities.
Proactive and ongoing communication with key stakeholders, like school boards and local utilities, is critical to successful bus and infrastructure deployment. To ensure the successful implementation of the selected projects funding electric buses and charging infrastructure, EPA has created a Utility Partnership Template, which encourages early and robust engagement between the applicant and their utility company. Additional details can be found in the Notice of Funding Opportunity on the Clean School Bus Program website.
Grantees will work with their EPA regional project officers to finalize project plans and purchase their awarded new buses and eligible infrastructure. As grants are finalized, total amounts awarded and number of buses may be adjusted. EPA is also partnering with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation to provide grantees with robust technical assistance to ensure effective implementation. All selectees must submit a Utility Partnership Agreement to verify that the school district’s electric utility provider is aware of the school district’s application for funding.
EPA’s $5 billion Clean School Bus Program, created by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, includes both a grant program where selected applicants are awarded funds to purchase buses, and a rebate program that allows selectees to receive awards before purchasing eligible buses that replace existing school buses with clean and zero-emission models. Today’s Clean School Bus Grants are the second round of selections announced for the newly created program. EPA will make more funds available for clean school buses in additional rounds of funding.
EPA is currently accepting applications for the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program until Jan. 31, 2024. EPA encourages applicants not selected for the 2023 Clean School Bus Grant Program – and those that did not apply – to participate in current and future funding rounds. Once the application period for the 2023 rebate program closes and the selected school districts are notified, those districts can proceed with purchasing new buses and eligible infrastructure. Selectees will need to submit Payment Request Forms with purchase orders demonstrating they have ordered those buses and infrastructure. After the selectees submit the proper forms, they will be eligible to receive rebate funds. All selectees must submit a Utility Partnership Agreement to verify that the school district’s electric utility provider is aware of the district’s rebate application.
To learn more about the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program, including applicant eligibility, selection process, and informational webinar dates for future rounds of funding, visit the Clean School Bus Program website. Questions about applying for funding may be directed to cleanschoolbus@epa.gov. Questions about Clean School Bus Program technical assistance may be directed to CleanSchoolBusTA@nrel.gov.
About the Clean School Bus Program
EPA’s Clean School Bus Program was adopted under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides an unprecedented $5 billion of funding to transform the nation’s fleet of school buses. The program funds electric buses, producing zero tailpipe emissions, as well as propane and compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, resulting in 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. Air pollution from older diesel engines 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. Efforts to minimize the effects of 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 program will benefit school districts as they upgrade to cost-saving, fuel-efficient school bus fleets by replacing existing buses with brand new zero-emission and clean school buses and freeing up needed resources for schools.
In April 2023, EPA announced the availability of at least $400 million for its 2023 Clean School Bus Grants through a Notice of Funding Opportunity. The grant application period closed in August 2023 with an outstanding response from applicants seeking to purchase electric and low-emission school buses. Given the overwhelming demand and high-scoring applications, including applicants in low-income communities, tribal nations, and territories, EPA has nearly doubled the amount of funding that will be awarded this round to approximately $965 million.
These awards follow over $875 million obligated to new buses from the Clean School Bus Program’s 2022 rebates, which funded the replacement of 2,366 buses at 372 school districts 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.
Prioritized school districts in low-income, rural, and/or tribal communities make up approximately 86% of the projects selected for funding. The program delivers on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution.
For more information, please email CleanSchoolBus@epa.gov.
View the full list of Clean School Bus Grantees.
# # #
Learn more about EPA Region 7
View all Region 7 news releases
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter: @EPARegion7
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Schools in Kansas and Nebraska to Receive Clean School Bus Funding, as Part of Investing in America Agenda
LENEXA, KAN. (JAN. 9, 2024) – As part of its ongoing commitment to protecting children and improving air quality, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced schools in Kansas and Nebraska are set to receive funding through EPA’s first Clean School Bus Program’s Grants Competition.
First Student has been selected to receive $13,100,000 to purchase clean school buses in Kansas and Missouri.
Highland CSB 1 LLC has been selected to receive $20,760,000 to purchase clean school buses in Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Schools or school districts that will receive one or more buses through this funding include:
Academie Lafayette (Kansas City, Missouri)
Normandy Schools Collaborative (St. Louis County, Missouri)
St. Louis Public Schools (St. Louis, Missouri)
Topeka Unified School District 501 (Topeka, Kansas)
Umo N Ho N Nation Public Schools (Omaha Tribe of Nebraska Reservation in Macy, Nebraska)
“Today, we’re once again accelerating the transition to electric and low-emission school buses in America, helping to secure a healthier future where all our children can breathe cleaner air,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “I’ve sat next to students on their very first clean school bus ride and their excitement reflects the power of good policy. Thanks to President Biden’s historic investments in America, thousands more school buses will hit the road in school districts across the country, saving school districts money and improving air quality at the same time.”
“Children and school staff across the Heartland will breathe cleaner, less polluted air, thanks to this electric school bus funding,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meghan A. McCollister. “Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA is investing in a healthier future for all.”
“Thanks to funding from the EPA Clean School Bus Grant Program and support from a robust coalition of partners, we are proud to deploy electric school buses across metro, tribal, and suburban communities in three states,” said Highland CSB 1 LLC Midwest Regional Manager, Electric Fleets Joshua Williams. “We look forward to demonstrating that all communities can access the benefits of electric school buses.”
The Clean School Bus Program is having far-reaching effects across school districts and their surrounding communities. Air pollution from older diesel engines is linked to asthma and other conditions that harm students’ health and can cause them to miss school. Phasing out these older diesel engines, which disproportionately affect communities of color and tribal communities, ensures cleaner air for students, bus drivers, school staff working near bus loading areas, and the communities through which the buses drive each day.
After an extensive review process, the EPA Clean School Bus Program has selected the Notice of Funding Opportunity’s top-tier Missouri applicants to receive this historic investment in their communities.
Proactive and ongoing communication with key stakeholders, like school boards and local utilities, is critical to successful bus and infrastructure deployment. To ensure the successful implementation of the selected projects funding electric buses and charging infrastructure, EPA has created a Utility Partnership Template, which encourages early and robust engagement between the applicant and their utility company. Additional details can be found in the Notice of Funding Opportunity on the Clean School Bus Program website.
Grantees will work with their EPA regional project officers to finalize project plans and purchase their awarded new buses and eligible infrastructure. As grants are finalized, total amounts awarded and number of buses may be adjusted. EPA is also partnering with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation to provide grantees with robust technical assistance to ensure effective implementation. All selectees must submit a Utility Partnership Agreement to verify that the school district’s electric utility provider is aware of the school district’s application for funding.
EPA’s $5 billion Clean School Bus Program, created by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, includes both a grant program where selected applicants are awarded funds to purchase buses, and a rebate program that allows selectees to receive awards before purchasing eligible buses that replace existing school buses with clean and zero-emission models. Today’s Clean School Bus Grants are the second round of selections announced for the newly created program. EPA will make more funds available for clean school buses in additional rounds of funding.
EPA is currently accepting applications for the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program until Jan. 31, 2024. EPA encourages applicants not selected for the 2023 Clean School Bus Grant Program – and those that did not apply – to participate in current and future funding rounds. Once the application period for the 2023 rebate program closes and the selected school districts are notified, those districts can proceed with purchasing new buses and eligible infrastructure. Selectees will need to submit Payment Request Forms with purchase orders demonstrating they have ordered those buses and infrastructure. After the selectees submit the proper forms, they will be eligible to receive rebate funds. All selectees must submit a Utility Partnership Agreement to verify that the school district’s electric utility provider is aware of the district’s rebate application.
To learn more about the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program, including applicant eligibility, selection process, and informational webinar dates for future rounds of funding, visit the Clean School Bus Program website. Questions about applying for funding may be directed to cleanschoolbus@epa.gov. Questions about Clean School Bus Program technical assistance may be directed to CleanSchoolBusTA@nrel.gov.
About the Clean School Bus Program
EPA’s Clean School Bus Program was adopted under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides an unprecedented $5 billion of funding to transform the nation’s fleet of school buses. The program funds electric buses, producing zero tailpipe emissions, as well as propane and compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, resulting in 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. Air pollution from older diesel engines 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. Efforts to minimize the effects of 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 program will benefit school districts as they upgrade to cost-saving, fuel-efficient school bus fleets by replacing existing buses with brand new zero-emission and clean school buses and freeing up needed resources for schools.
In April 2023, EPA announced the availability of at least $400 million for its 2023 Clean School Bus Grants through a Notice of Funding Opportunity. The grant application period closed in August 2023 with an outstanding response from applicants seeking to purchase electric and low-emission school buses. Given the overwhelming demand and high-scoring applications, including applicants in low-income communities, tribal nations, and territories, EPA has nearly doubled the amount of funding that will be awarded this round to approximately $965 million.
These awards follow over $875 million obligated to new buses from the Clean School Bus Program’s 2022 rebates, which funded the replacement of 2,366 buses at 372 school districts 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.
Prioritized school districts in low-income, rural, and/or tribal communities make up approximately 86% of the projects selected for funding. The program delivers on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution.
For more information, please email CleanSchoolBus@epa.gov.
View the full list of Clean School Bus Grantees.
# # #
Learn more about EPA Region 7
View all Region 7 news releases
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter: @EPARegion7
First Student has been selected to receive $13,100,000 to purchase clean school buses in Kansas and Missouri.
Highland CSB 1 LLC has been selected to receive $20,760,000 to purchase clean school buses in Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Schools or school districts that will receive one or more buses through this funding include:
Academie Lafayette (Kansas City, Missouri)
Normandy Schools Collaborative (St. Louis County, Missouri)
St. Louis Public Schools (St. Louis, Missouri)
Topeka Unified School District 501 (Topeka, Kansas)
Umo N Ho N Nation Public Schools (Omaha Tribe of Nebraska Reservation in Macy, Nebraska)
“Today, we’re once again accelerating the transition to electric and low-emission school buses in America, helping to secure a healthier future where all our children can breathe cleaner air,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “I’ve sat next to students on their very first clean school bus ride and their excitement reflects the power of good policy. Thanks to President Biden’s historic investments in America, thousands more school buses will hit the road in school districts across the country, saving school districts money and improving air quality at the same time.”
“Children and school staff across the Heartland will breathe cleaner, less polluted air, thanks to this electric school bus funding,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meghan A. McCollister. “Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA is investing in a healthier future for all.”
“Thanks to funding from the EPA Clean School Bus Grant Program and support from a robust coalition of partners, we are proud to deploy electric school buses across metro, tribal, and suburban communities in three states,” said Highland CSB 1 LLC Midwest Regional Manager, Electric Fleets Joshua Williams. “We look forward to demonstrating that all communities can access the benefits of electric school buses.”
The Clean School Bus Program is having far-reaching effects across school districts and their surrounding communities. Air pollution from older diesel engines is linked to asthma and other conditions that harm students’ health and can cause them to miss school. Phasing out these older diesel engines, which disproportionately affect communities of color and tribal communities, ensures cleaner air for students, bus drivers, school staff working near bus loading areas, and the communities through which the buses drive each day.
After an extensive review process, the EPA Clean School Bus Program has selected the Notice of Funding Opportunity’s top-tier Missouri applicants to receive this historic investment in their communities.
Proactive and ongoing communication with key stakeholders, like school boards and local utilities, is critical to successful bus and infrastructure deployment. To ensure the successful implementation of the selected projects funding electric buses and charging infrastructure, EPA has created a Utility Partnership Template, which encourages early and robust engagement between the applicant and their utility company. Additional details can be found in the Notice of Funding Opportunity on the Clean School Bus Program website.
Grantees will work with their EPA regional project officers to finalize project plans and purchase their awarded new buses and eligible infrastructure. As grants are finalized, total amounts awarded and number of buses may be adjusted. EPA is also partnering with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation to provide grantees with robust technical assistance to ensure effective implementation. All selectees must submit a Utility Partnership Agreement to verify that the school district’s electric utility provider is aware of the school district’s application for funding.
EPA’s $5 billion Clean School Bus Program, created by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, includes both a grant program where selected applicants are awarded funds to purchase buses, and a rebate program that allows selectees to receive awards before purchasing eligible buses that replace existing school buses with clean and zero-emission models. Today’s Clean School Bus Grants are the second round of selections announced for the newly created program. EPA will make more funds available for clean school buses in additional rounds of funding.
EPA is currently accepting applications for the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program until Jan. 31, 2024. EPA encourages applicants not selected for the 2023 Clean School Bus Grant Program – and those that did not apply – to participate in current and future funding rounds. Once the application period for the 2023 rebate program closes and the selected school districts are notified, those districts can proceed with purchasing new buses and eligible infrastructure. Selectees will need to submit Payment Request Forms with purchase orders demonstrating they have ordered those buses and infrastructure. After the selectees submit the proper forms, they will be eligible to receive rebate funds. All selectees must submit a Utility Partnership Agreement to verify that the school district’s electric utility provider is aware of the district’s rebate application.
To learn more about the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program, including applicant eligibility, selection process, and informational webinar dates for future rounds of funding, visit the Clean School Bus Program website. Questions about applying for funding may be directed to cleanschoolbus@epa.gov. Questions about Clean School Bus Program technical assistance may be directed to CleanSchoolBusTA@nrel.gov.
About the Clean School Bus Program
EPA’s Clean School Bus Program was adopted under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides an unprecedented $5 billion of funding to transform the nation’s fleet of school buses. The program funds electric buses, producing zero tailpipe emissions, as well as propane and compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, resulting in 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. Air pollution from older diesel engines 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. Efforts to minimize the effects of 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 program will benefit school districts as they upgrade to cost-saving, fuel-efficient school bus fleets by replacing existing buses with brand new zero-emission and clean school buses and freeing up needed resources for schools.
In April 2023, EPA announced the availability of at least $400 million for its 2023 Clean School Bus Grants through a Notice of Funding Opportunity. The grant application period closed in August 2023 with an outstanding response from applicants seeking to purchase electric and low-emission school buses. Given the overwhelming demand and high-scoring applications, including applicants in low-income communities, tribal nations, and territories, EPA has nearly doubled the amount of funding that will be awarded this round to approximately $965 million.
These awards follow over $875 million obligated to new buses from the Clean School Bus Program’s 2022 rebates, which funded the replacement of 2,366 buses at 372 school districts 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.
Prioritized school districts in low-income, rural, and/or tribal communities make up approximately 86% of the projects selected for funding. The program delivers on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution.
For more information, please email CleanSchoolBus@epa.gov.
View the full list of Clean School Bus Grantees.
# # #
Learn more about EPA Region 7
View all Region 7 news releases
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter: @EPARegion7
Biden-Harris Administration Announces at Least $4.7 million in Awards for Clean School Buses In Maryland as Part of Investing in America Agenda
PHILADELPHIA – As part of its ongoing commitment to protecting children and improving air quality, today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the selection of Montgomery Public Schools to receive nearly $4.7 million to purchase 50 school buses through EPA’s first Clean School Bus Program’s Grants Competition. By accelerating the transition to low- and zero-emission vehicles, these awards will improve air quality for children and their families and advance environmental justice, all while boosting the economy and creating good-paying jobs.
“Today we’re once again accelerating the transition to electric and low-emission school buses in America, helping to secure a healthier future where all our children can breathe cleaner air,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “I’ve sat next to students on their very first clean school bus ride and their excitement reflects the power of good policy. Thanks to President Biden’s historic investments in America, thousands more school buses will hit the road in school districts across the country, saving school districts money and improving air quality at the same time.”
"These grants are further proof of EPA's commitment to protect children, improve air quality, and contribute directly to communities," said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. "These once-in-a-generation infrastructure investments will have lasting impacts."
“Transitioning from diesel to electric school buses makes good public health and economic sense, offering real benefits like improved air quality in our communities and significant savings for local taxpayers. That’s why our Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes historic investments to modernize public transportation across the country – and these funds will bolster Montgomery County’s ongoing efforts to provide students with a cleaner, greener, and safer trip to and from school. Projects like these are how we beat back the climate crisis and build a more sustainable future for the generations to come,” said U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen.
“Taking the bus to school should not be a health hazard for our children. Our students deserve clean, quiet transportation without having to suffer the consequences of dirty, school bus exhaust.,” said U.S. Senator Ben Cardin. “Congress approved the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to deliver critical funding to transition our nation’s school bus fleet away from gas-guzzling, air-polluting vehicles. This is a promising step forward and I’m excited to see these new busses in Montgomery County and across the region. I know our students will be, too.”
The Clean School Bus Program is having far-reaching effects across school districts and their surrounding communities. Air pollution from older diesel engines is linked to asthma and other conditions that harm students’ health and can cause them to miss school. Phasing out these older diesel engines, which disproportionately affect communities of color and Tribal communities, ensures cleaner air for students, bus drivers, school staff working near bus loading areas, and the communities through which the buses drive each day.
After an extensive review process, the EPA Clean School Bus Program has selected the Notice of Funding Opportunity’s top tier Maryland applicants to receive this historic investment in their community.
Proactive and ongoing communication with key stakeholders, like school boards and local utilities, is critical to successful bus and infrastructure deployment. To ensure the successful implementation of the selected projects funding electric buses and charging infrastructure, EPA has created a Utility Partnership Template which encourages early and robust engagement between the applicant and their utility company. Additional details can be found in the Notice of Funding Opportunity on the Clean School Bus Program Website.
Grantees will work with their EPA Regional Project Officers to finalize project plans and purchase their awarded new buses and eligible infrastructure. As grants are finalized, total amounts awarded and number of buses may be adjusted. EPA is also partnering with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation to provide grantees with robust technical assistance to ensure effective implementation. All selectees must submit a Utility Partnership Agreement to verify that the school district’s electric utility provider is aware of the school district’s rebate application.
EPA’s $5 billion Clean School Bus program created by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes both a grant program where selected applicants are awarded funds to purchase buses and a rebate program that allows selectees to receive awards before purchasing eligible buses that replaces existing school buses with clean and zero-emission models. Today’s Clean School Bus grants are the second round of selections announced for the newly created program. EPA will make more funds available for clean school buses in additional rounds of funding.
EPA is currently accepting applications for the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program until January 31, 2024. EPA encourages applicants not selected for the 2023 Clean School Bus Grant Program – and those that did not apply – to participate in current and future funding rounds. Once the application period for the 2023 rebate program closes and the school districts selected are notified, school districts can proceed with purchasing new buses and eligible infrastructure. Selectees will need to submit Payment Request Forms with purchase orders demonstrating they have ordered new buses and eligible infrastructure. After the selectees submit the proper forms, they will be eligible to receive rebate funds.
To learn more about the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program, applicant eligibility, selection process, and informational webinar dates for future rounds of funding, visit the Clean School Bus Program website. Questions about applying for funding may be directed to cleanschoolbus@epa.gov. Questions about Clean School Bus Program technical assistance may be directed to CleanSchoolBusTA@nrel.gov.
About the Clean School Bus Program
EPA’s Clean School Bus Program was created under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and provides an unprecedented $5 billion of funding to transform the nation’s fleet of school buses. The Clean School Bus Program funds clean school buses, including electric buses, compressed natural gas (CNG) and propane buses that 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. Air pollution from older diesel engines, which disproportionately impact communities of color and Tribal communities, is linked to asthma and other conditions that harm students’ health and can cause them to miss school. Replacing these older diesel engines with zero- or low-emission buses will ensure cleaner air for students, bus drivers, school staff working near 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 Program will benefit school districts as they upgrade to cost saving and fuel-efficient school bus fleets, by replacing existing buses with brand new zero-emission and clean school buses and freeing up needed resources for schools.
In April 2023, EPA announced the availability of at least $400 million for its 2023 Clean School Bus Grants through a Notice of Funding Opportunity. The grant application period closed in August 2023 with an outstanding response from applicants seeking to purchase electric and low-emission school buses. Given the overwhelming demand and large number of high-scoring applications, including applicants in low-income communities, Tribal nations, and territories, EPA has nearly doubled the amount of funding that will be awarded nationally today to approximately $965 million. These awards follow over $875 million obligated to new buses from the Clean School Bus Program’s 2022 Rebates, which funded the replacement of 2,366 buses at 372 school districts to further improve air quality in and around schools, advance environmental justice, reduce greenhouse gas pollution fueling the climate crisis, and accelerate America’s leadership in developing the clean vehicles of the future.
Prioritized school districts in low-income, rural, and/or Tribal communities make up approximately 86% of the projects selected for funding. The program delivers on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution.
For more information, please email CleanSchoolBus@epa.gov.
View the full list of Clean School Bus grantees here.
###
“Today we’re once again accelerating the transition to electric and low-emission school buses in America, helping to secure a healthier future where all our children can breathe cleaner air,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “I’ve sat next to students on their very first clean school bus ride and their excitement reflects the power of good policy. Thanks to President Biden’s historic investments in America, thousands more school buses will hit the road in school districts across the country, saving school districts money and improving air quality at the same time.”
"These grants are further proof of EPA's commitment to protect children, improve air quality, and contribute directly to communities," said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. "These once-in-a-generation infrastructure investments will have lasting impacts."
“Transitioning from diesel to electric school buses makes good public health and economic sense, offering real benefits like improved air quality in our communities and significant savings for local taxpayers. That’s why our Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes historic investments to modernize public transportation across the country – and these funds will bolster Montgomery County’s ongoing efforts to provide students with a cleaner, greener, and safer trip to and from school. Projects like these are how we beat back the climate crisis and build a more sustainable future for the generations to come,” said U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen.
“Taking the bus to school should not be a health hazard for our children. Our students deserve clean, quiet transportation without having to suffer the consequences of dirty, school bus exhaust.,” said U.S. Senator Ben Cardin. “Congress approved the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to deliver critical funding to transition our nation’s school bus fleet away from gas-guzzling, air-polluting vehicles. This is a promising step forward and I’m excited to see these new busses in Montgomery County and across the region. I know our students will be, too.”
The Clean School Bus Program is having far-reaching effects across school districts and their surrounding communities. Air pollution from older diesel engines is linked to asthma and other conditions that harm students’ health and can cause them to miss school. Phasing out these older diesel engines, which disproportionately affect communities of color and Tribal communities, ensures cleaner air for students, bus drivers, school staff working near bus loading areas, and the communities through which the buses drive each day.
After an extensive review process, the EPA Clean School Bus Program has selected the Notice of Funding Opportunity’s top tier Maryland applicants to receive this historic investment in their community.
Proactive and ongoing communication with key stakeholders, like school boards and local utilities, is critical to successful bus and infrastructure deployment. To ensure the successful implementation of the selected projects funding electric buses and charging infrastructure, EPA has created a Utility Partnership Template which encourages early and robust engagement between the applicant and their utility company. Additional details can be found in the Notice of Funding Opportunity on the Clean School Bus Program Website.
Grantees will work with their EPA Regional Project Officers to finalize project plans and purchase their awarded new buses and eligible infrastructure. As grants are finalized, total amounts awarded and number of buses may be adjusted. EPA is also partnering with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation to provide grantees with robust technical assistance to ensure effective implementation. All selectees must submit a Utility Partnership Agreement to verify that the school district’s electric utility provider is aware of the school district’s rebate application.
EPA’s $5 billion Clean School Bus program created by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes both a grant program where selected applicants are awarded funds to purchase buses and a rebate program that allows selectees to receive awards before purchasing eligible buses that replaces existing school buses with clean and zero-emission models. Today’s Clean School Bus grants are the second round of selections announced for the newly created program. EPA will make more funds available for clean school buses in additional rounds of funding.
EPA is currently accepting applications for the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program until January 31, 2024. EPA encourages applicants not selected for the 2023 Clean School Bus Grant Program – and those that did not apply – to participate in current and future funding rounds. Once the application period for the 2023 rebate program closes and the school districts selected are notified, school districts can proceed with purchasing new buses and eligible infrastructure. Selectees will need to submit Payment Request Forms with purchase orders demonstrating they have ordered new buses and eligible infrastructure. After the selectees submit the proper forms, they will be eligible to receive rebate funds.
To learn more about the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program, applicant eligibility, selection process, and informational webinar dates for future rounds of funding, visit the Clean School Bus Program website. Questions about applying for funding may be directed to cleanschoolbus@epa.gov. Questions about Clean School Bus Program technical assistance may be directed to CleanSchoolBusTA@nrel.gov.
About the Clean School Bus Program
EPA’s Clean School Bus Program was created under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and provides an unprecedented $5 billion of funding to transform the nation’s fleet of school buses. The Clean School Bus Program funds clean school buses, including electric buses, compressed natural gas (CNG) and propane buses that 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. Air pollution from older diesel engines, which disproportionately impact communities of color and Tribal communities, is linked to asthma and other conditions that harm students’ health and can cause them to miss school. Replacing these older diesel engines with zero- or low-emission buses will ensure cleaner air for students, bus drivers, school staff working near 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 Program will benefit school districts as they upgrade to cost saving and fuel-efficient school bus fleets, by replacing existing buses with brand new zero-emission and clean school buses and freeing up needed resources for schools.
In April 2023, EPA announced the availability of at least $400 million for its 2023 Clean School Bus Grants through a Notice of Funding Opportunity. The grant application period closed in August 2023 with an outstanding response from applicants seeking to purchase electric and low-emission school buses. Given the overwhelming demand and large number of high-scoring applications, including applicants in low-income communities, Tribal nations, and territories, EPA has nearly doubled the amount of funding that will be awarded nationally today to approximately $965 million. These awards follow over $875 million obligated to new buses from the Clean School Bus Program’s 2022 Rebates, which funded the replacement of 2,366 buses at 372 school districts to further improve air quality in and around schools, advance environmental justice, reduce greenhouse gas pollution fueling the climate crisis, and accelerate America’s leadership in developing the clean vehicles of the future.
Prioritized school districts in low-income, rural, and/or Tribal communities make up approximately 86% of the projects selected for funding. The program delivers on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution.
For more information, please email CleanSchoolBus@epa.gov.
View the full list of Clean School Bus grantees here.
###
EPA Requires Toxics Release Inventory Reporting for Seven Additional PFAS
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the automatic addition of seven per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the list of chemicals covered by the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI).
TRI data is reported to EPA annually by facilities in designated industry sectors and federal facilities that manufacture, process, or otherwise use TRI-listed chemicals above set quantities. The data include quantities of such chemicals that were released into the environment or otherwise managed as waste. Information collected through TRI allows communities to learn how facilities in their area are managing listed chemicals. The data collected is available online and helps to support informed decision-making by companies, government agencies, non-governmental organizations and the public, and advances the Biden-Harris commitments to ensuring environmental justice through improved accountability and transparency for families, workers, and communities across the country.
The addition of these seven PFAS helps to further the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to address the impacts of these forever chemicals, and advances EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap to confront the human health and environmental risks of PFAS.
“With these additions to the Toxics Release Inventory, we’ll be collecting data on the release and management of almost 200 PFAS in communities across the country, furthering our efforts to better understand and protect people from these chemicals,” said Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff. “We’ll also share this information with the public, empowering communities to engage with the facilities using these chemicals to prevent or reduce pollution.”
These seven PFAS were added to the TRI list pursuant to the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which provides the framework for the automatic addition of PFAS to TRI each year in response to specified EPA activities involving such PFAS. For TRI Reporting Year 2024 (reporting forms due by July 1, 2025), reporting is required for these seven additional PFAS, bringing the total PFAS subject to TRI reporting to 196.
Addition of PFAS with final toxicity values
The 2020 NDAA includes a provision that automatically adds PFAS to the TRI list upon the Agency’s finalization of a toxicity value. Six PFAS were automatically added for Reporting Year 2024 due to EPA having finalized a toxicity value during 2023. Only these particular salt forms of the acids are added to the list.
Ammonium perfluorohexanoate; Chemical Abstract Service Registration Number (CASRN) 21615-47-4
Lithium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl] azanide; CASRN 90076-65-6
Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA); CASRN 307-24-4
Perfluoropropanoic acid (PFPrA); CASRN 422-64-0
Sodium perfluorohexanoate; CASRN 2923-26-4
1,1,1-Trifluoro-N-[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl] methanesulfonamide; CASRN 82113-65-3
Addition of PFAS no longer claimed as confidential business information
Under NDAA section 7321(e), EPA must review confidential business information (CBI) claims before adding a PFAS to the TRI list if the chemical identity is subject to a claim of protection from disclosure under 5 U.S.C. 552(a). EPA previously identified one PFAS for addition to the TRI list based on the NDAA’s provision to include specific PFAS upon the NDAA’s enactment. However, due to CBI claims related to its identity, this PFAS was not added to the TRI list at that time. The identity of this chemical was subsequently declassified in an update to the Toxic Substances Control Act Inventory in February 2023. Because its identity is no longer confidential, the following chemical was added to the TRI list:
Betaines, dimethyl(.gamma.-.omega.-perfluoro-.gamma.-hydro-C8-18-alkyl); CASRN 2816091-53-7
As of January 1, 2024, facilities that are subject to reporting requirements for these chemicals should begin tracking their activities involving these PFAS as required by Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. Reporting forms will be due by July 1, 2025.
These seven newly added PFAS, along with the previous 189 TRI-listed PFAS, are also subject to EPA’s action in October 2023 to classify all PFAS subject to TRI reporting as chemicals of special concern. Among other impacts, this removes the use of a reporting exemption that allowed facilities to avoid reporting information on PFAS when those chemicals were used in small concentrations.
Learn more about the addition of these PFAS to the Toxics Release Inventory.
TRI data is reported to EPA annually by facilities in designated industry sectors and federal facilities that manufacture, process, or otherwise use TRI-listed chemicals above set quantities. The data include quantities of such chemicals that were released into the environment or otherwise managed as waste. Information collected through TRI allows communities to learn how facilities in their area are managing listed chemicals. The data collected is available online and helps to support informed decision-making by companies, government agencies, non-governmental organizations and the public, and advances the Biden-Harris commitments to ensuring environmental justice through improved accountability and transparency for families, workers, and communities across the country.
The addition of these seven PFAS helps to further the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to address the impacts of these forever chemicals, and advances EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap to confront the human health and environmental risks of PFAS.
“With these additions to the Toxics Release Inventory, we’ll be collecting data on the release and management of almost 200 PFAS in communities across the country, furthering our efforts to better understand and protect people from these chemicals,” said Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff. “We’ll also share this information with the public, empowering communities to engage with the facilities using these chemicals to prevent or reduce pollution.”
These seven PFAS were added to the TRI list pursuant to the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which provides the framework for the automatic addition of PFAS to TRI each year in response to specified EPA activities involving such PFAS. For TRI Reporting Year 2024 (reporting forms due by July 1, 2025), reporting is required for these seven additional PFAS, bringing the total PFAS subject to TRI reporting to 196.
Addition of PFAS with final toxicity values
The 2020 NDAA includes a provision that automatically adds PFAS to the TRI list upon the Agency’s finalization of a toxicity value. Six PFAS were automatically added for Reporting Year 2024 due to EPA having finalized a toxicity value during 2023. Only these particular salt forms of the acids are added to the list.
Ammonium perfluorohexanoate; Chemical Abstract Service Registration Number (CASRN) 21615-47-4
Lithium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl] azanide; CASRN 90076-65-6
Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA); CASRN 307-24-4
Perfluoropropanoic acid (PFPrA); CASRN 422-64-0
Sodium perfluorohexanoate; CASRN 2923-26-4
1,1,1-Trifluoro-N-[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl] methanesulfonamide; CASRN 82113-65-3
Addition of PFAS no longer claimed as confidential business information
Under NDAA section 7321(e), EPA must review confidential business information (CBI) claims before adding a PFAS to the TRI list if the chemical identity is subject to a claim of protection from disclosure under 5 U.S.C. 552(a). EPA previously identified one PFAS for addition to the TRI list based on the NDAA’s provision to include specific PFAS upon the NDAA’s enactment. However, due to CBI claims related to its identity, this PFAS was not added to the TRI list at that time. The identity of this chemical was subsequently declassified in an update to the Toxic Substances Control Act Inventory in February 2023. Because its identity is no longer confidential, the following chemical was added to the TRI list:
Betaines, dimethyl(.gamma.-.omega.-perfluoro-.gamma.-hydro-C8-18-alkyl); CASRN 2816091-53-7
As of January 1, 2024, facilities that are subject to reporting requirements for these chemicals should begin tracking their activities involving these PFAS as required by Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. Reporting forms will be due by July 1, 2025.
These seven newly added PFAS, along with the previous 189 TRI-listed PFAS, are also subject to EPA’s action in October 2023 to classify all PFAS subject to TRI reporting as chemicals of special concern. Among other impacts, this removes the use of a reporting exemption that allowed facilities to avoid reporting information on PFAS when those chemicals were used in small concentrations.
Learn more about the addition of these PFAS to the Toxics Release Inventory.
Allied Waste Resolves Clean Air Act Violations at its Niagara Falls Landfill
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached a settlement with Allied Waste Niagara Falls Landfill, LLC (Allied) for violating the federal Clean Air Act at its landfill in Niagara Falls, New York. Under the proposed settlement, Allied will pay a $671,000 penalty and operate a gas collection and control system to reduce the amount of harmful chemicals, primarily methane, as well as other harmful organic compounds, released into the air.
“Methane is a climate super pollutant that is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide, and landfills are the third largest sources of methane emissions in the United States,” said David M. Uhlmann, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s agreement will require Allied to control its unlawful methane emissions and holds the company accountable for its violations of the Clean Air Act.”
“Thanks to EPA’s action, the company must operate controls to dramatically slash the climate damaging pollutants that they are putting into our air every day,” said Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia, EPA Region 2. “These pollutants also have health impacts, so cutting these pollutants not only protects the climate, it also safeguards the health of the people living near this landfill.”
Under the consent decree, in addition to the estimated elimination of 86,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent methane emissions, the gas collection and control system that Allied will operate and the operational changes it will implement also will prevent 32 metric tons of non-methane landfill gas emissions per year. Methane accounts for 12% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. Landfills are the third largest source of methane in the United States and EPA is tackling these sources as part of its National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative dedicated to Mitigating Climate Change. These pollutants form when organic waste in the landfill decomposes and creates landfill gas. As a result, there are federal regulations that curb the amount of methane that can be released. In addition to causing adverse climate effects, these pollutants, especially when released unlawfully, are known or suspected carcinogens, and also are known or suspected to cause damage to the kidneys, liver, and central nervous system.
The settlement also includes capping the vents on parts of the landfill that have been inactive, monitoring the emissions and the gas wells, applying for updated state permits including a Title V major source permit, and keeping records of its compliance activities. The settlement resolves Clean Air Act claims alleged in a complaint filed by the Department of Justice on behalf of EPA claiming that the company failed to timely install and operate a gas collection and control system on the active and inactive cells of the landfill, which caused excess landfill gas emissions to be released to the atmosphere. The complaint also claimed that Allied failed to obtain federal and state air permits as required by law.
The proposed consent decree, lodged with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval.
“Methane is a climate super pollutant that is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide, and landfills are the third largest sources of methane emissions in the United States,” said David M. Uhlmann, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s agreement will require Allied to control its unlawful methane emissions and holds the company accountable for its violations of the Clean Air Act.”
“Thanks to EPA’s action, the company must operate controls to dramatically slash the climate damaging pollutants that they are putting into our air every day,” said Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia, EPA Region 2. “These pollutants also have health impacts, so cutting these pollutants not only protects the climate, it also safeguards the health of the people living near this landfill.”
Under the consent decree, in addition to the estimated elimination of 86,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent methane emissions, the gas collection and control system that Allied will operate and the operational changes it will implement also will prevent 32 metric tons of non-methane landfill gas emissions per year. Methane accounts for 12% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. Landfills are the third largest source of methane in the United States and EPA is tackling these sources as part of its National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative dedicated to Mitigating Climate Change. These pollutants form when organic waste in the landfill decomposes and creates landfill gas. As a result, there are federal regulations that curb the amount of methane that can be released. In addition to causing adverse climate effects, these pollutants, especially when released unlawfully, are known or suspected carcinogens, and also are known or suspected to cause damage to the kidneys, liver, and central nervous system.
The settlement also includes capping the vents on parts of the landfill that have been inactive, monitoring the emissions and the gas wells, applying for updated state permits including a Title V major source permit, and keeping records of its compliance activities. The settlement resolves Clean Air Act claims alleged in a complaint filed by the Department of Justice on behalf of EPA claiming that the company failed to timely install and operate a gas collection and control system on the active and inactive cells of the landfill, which caused excess landfill gas emissions to be released to the atmosphere. The complaint also claimed that Allied failed to obtain federal and state air permits as required by law.
The proposed consent decree, lodged with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces at nearly $57,250,945 in Awards for Clean School Buses Across Georgia as Part of Investing in America Agenda
ATLANTA (Jan. 9, 2024) – As part of its ongoing commitment to protecting children and improving air quality the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the selection of four applicants to receive nearly $57,250,945 through EPA’s first Clean School Bus Program’s Grants Competition. The awards, which are made possible through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, will help selectees purchase clean school buses in four school districts across Georgia. By accelerating the transition to low- and zero-emission vehicles, these awards will improve air quality for children and their families and advance environmental justice, all while boosting the economy and creating good-paying jobs.
Bibb County School District has been selected to receive $6,275,000.00 to purchase over 25 clean school buses.
DeKalb County Public School District has been selected to receive $20,139,250.00 to purchase over 50 clean school buses.
Clayton County Public Schools has been selected to receive $20,355,000.00 to purchase over 50 clean school buses.
Marietta Board of Education has been selected to receive $606,695.00 to purchase over 15 clean school buses.
Richmond County Schools has been selected to receive $9,875,000.00 to purchase over 25 clean school buses.
“Today we’re once again accelerating the transition to electric and low-emission school buses in America, helping to secure a healthier future where all our children can breathe cleaner air,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “I’ve sat next to students on their very first clean school bus ride and their excitement reflects the power of good policy. Thanks to President Biden’s historic investments in America, thousands more school buses will hit the road in school districts across the country, saving school districts money and improving air quality at the same time.”
“Clean School Bus grants will help selectees in the Southeast region purchase clean school buses that will accelerate the transition to zero emission vehicles and produce cleaner air in and around schools and communities,” said Acting EPA Region 4 Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle.
"Senator Warnock and I are delivering upgraded school buses to help Georgia kids get to school more safely and to reduce air pollution. We will keep working to deliver the best for Georgia’s children,” Sen. Ossoff said. “I thank President Biden, Vice President Harris, Administrator Regan, and Acting Region 4 Administrator Gettle for their continued collaboration as we lead Georgia forward.”
The Clean School Bus Program is having far-reaching effects across school districts and their surrounding communities. Air pollution from older diesel engines is linked to asthma and other conditions that harm students’ health and can cause them to miss school. Phasing out these older diesel engines, which disproportionately affect communities of color and Tribal communities, ensures cleaner air for students, bus drivers, school staff working near bus loading areas, and the communities through which the buses drive each day.
After an extensive review process, the EPA Clean School Bus Program has selected the Notice of Funding Opportunity’s top tier Georgia applicants to receive this historic investment in their community.
Proactive and ongoing communication with key stakeholders, like school boards and local utilities, is critical to successful bus and infrastructure deployment. To ensure the successful implementation of the selected projects funding electric buses and charging infrastructure, EPA has created a Utility Partnership Template which encourages early and robust engagement between the applicant and their utility company. Additional details can be found in the Notice of Funding Opportunity on the Clean School Bus Program Website.
Grantees will work with their EPA Regional Project Officers to finalize project plans and purchase their awarded new buses and eligible infrastructure. As grants are finalized, total amounts awarded, and number of buses may be adjusted. EPA is also partnering with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation to provide grantees with robust technical assistance to ensure effective implementation. All selectees must submit a Utility Partnership Agreement to verify that the school district’s electric utility provider is aware of the school district’s rebate application.
EPA’s $5 billion Clean School Bus program created by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes both a grant program where selected applicants are awarded funds to purchase buses and a rebate program that allows selectees to receive awards before purchasing eligible buses that replaces existing school buses with clean and zero-emission models. Today’s Clean School Bus grants are the second round of selections announced for the newly created program. EPA will make more funds available for clean school buses in additional rounds of funding.
EPA is currently accepting applications for the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program until January 31, 2024. EPA encourages applicants not selected for the 2023 Clean School Bus Grant Program – and those that did not apply – to participate in current and future funding rounds. Once the application period for the 2023 rebate program closes and the school districts selected are notified, school districts can proceed with purchasing new buses and eligible infrastructure. Selectees will need to submit Payment Request Forms with purchase orders demonstrating they have ordered new buses and eligible infrastructure. After the selectees submit the proper forms, they will be eligible to receive rebate funds.
To learn more about the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program, applicant eligibility, selection process, and informational webinar dates for future rounds of funding, visit the Clean School Bus Program website. Questions about applying for funding may be directed to cleanschoolbus@epa.gov. Questions about Clean School Bus Program technical assistance may be directed to CleanSchoolBusTA@nrel.gov.
About the Clean School Bus Program
EPA’s Clean School Bus Program was created under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and provides an unprecedented $5 billion of funding to transform the nation’s fleet of school buses. The Clean School Bus Program funds clean school buses, including electric buses, compressed natural gas (CNG) and propane buses that 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. Air pollution from older diesel engines, which disproportionately impact communities of color and Tribal communities, is linked to asthma and other conditions that harm students’ health and can cause them to miss school. Replacing these older diesel engines with zero- or low-emission buses will ensure cleaner air for students, bus drivers, school staff working near 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 Program will benefit school districts as they upgrade to cost saving and fuel-efficient school bus fleets, by replacing existing buses with brand new zero-emission and clean school buses and freeing up needed resources for schools.
In April 2023, EPA announced the availability of at least $400 million for its 2023 Clean School Bus Grants through a Notice of Funding Opportunity. The grant application period closed in August 2023 with an outstanding response from applicants seeking to purchase electric and low-emission school buses. Given the overwhelming demand and large number of high-scoring applications, including applicants in low-income communities, Tribal nations, and territories, EPA has nearly doubled the amount of funding that will be awarded nationally today to approximately $965 million. These awards follow over $875 million obligated to new buses from the Clean School Bus Program’s 2022 Rebates, which funded the replacement of 2,366 buses at 372 school districts to further improve air quality in and around schools, advance environmental justice, reduce greenhouse gas pollution fueling the climate crisis, and accelerate America’s leadership in developing the clean vehicles of the future.
Prioritized school districts in low-income, rural, and/or Tribal communities make up approximately 86% of the projects selected for funding. The program delivers on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution.
For more information, please email CleanSchoolBus@epa.gov.
View the full list of Clean School Bus Grantees here.
Bibb County School District has been selected to receive $6,275,000.00 to purchase over 25 clean school buses.
DeKalb County Public School District has been selected to receive $20,139,250.00 to purchase over 50 clean school buses.
Clayton County Public Schools has been selected to receive $20,355,000.00 to purchase over 50 clean school buses.
Marietta Board of Education has been selected to receive $606,695.00 to purchase over 15 clean school buses.
Richmond County Schools has been selected to receive $9,875,000.00 to purchase over 25 clean school buses.
“Today we’re once again accelerating the transition to electric and low-emission school buses in America, helping to secure a healthier future where all our children can breathe cleaner air,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “I’ve sat next to students on their very first clean school bus ride and their excitement reflects the power of good policy. Thanks to President Biden’s historic investments in America, thousands more school buses will hit the road in school districts across the country, saving school districts money and improving air quality at the same time.”
“Clean School Bus grants will help selectees in the Southeast region purchase clean school buses that will accelerate the transition to zero emission vehicles and produce cleaner air in and around schools and communities,” said Acting EPA Region 4 Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle.
"Senator Warnock and I are delivering upgraded school buses to help Georgia kids get to school more safely and to reduce air pollution. We will keep working to deliver the best for Georgia’s children,” Sen. Ossoff said. “I thank President Biden, Vice President Harris, Administrator Regan, and Acting Region 4 Administrator Gettle for their continued collaboration as we lead Georgia forward.”
The Clean School Bus Program is having far-reaching effects across school districts and their surrounding communities. Air pollution from older diesel engines is linked to asthma and other conditions that harm students’ health and can cause them to miss school. Phasing out these older diesel engines, which disproportionately affect communities of color and Tribal communities, ensures cleaner air for students, bus drivers, school staff working near bus loading areas, and the communities through which the buses drive each day.
After an extensive review process, the EPA Clean School Bus Program has selected the Notice of Funding Opportunity’s top tier Georgia applicants to receive this historic investment in their community.
Proactive and ongoing communication with key stakeholders, like school boards and local utilities, is critical to successful bus and infrastructure deployment. To ensure the successful implementation of the selected projects funding electric buses and charging infrastructure, EPA has created a Utility Partnership Template which encourages early and robust engagement between the applicant and their utility company. Additional details can be found in the Notice of Funding Opportunity on the Clean School Bus Program Website.
Grantees will work with their EPA Regional Project Officers to finalize project plans and purchase their awarded new buses and eligible infrastructure. As grants are finalized, total amounts awarded, and number of buses may be adjusted. EPA is also partnering with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation to provide grantees with robust technical assistance to ensure effective implementation. All selectees must submit a Utility Partnership Agreement to verify that the school district’s electric utility provider is aware of the school district’s rebate application.
EPA’s $5 billion Clean School Bus program created by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes both a grant program where selected applicants are awarded funds to purchase buses and a rebate program that allows selectees to receive awards before purchasing eligible buses that replaces existing school buses with clean and zero-emission models. Today’s Clean School Bus grants are the second round of selections announced for the newly created program. EPA will make more funds available for clean school buses in additional rounds of funding.
EPA is currently accepting applications for the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program until January 31, 2024. EPA encourages applicants not selected for the 2023 Clean School Bus Grant Program – and those that did not apply – to participate in current and future funding rounds. Once the application period for the 2023 rebate program closes and the school districts selected are notified, school districts can proceed with purchasing new buses and eligible infrastructure. Selectees will need to submit Payment Request Forms with purchase orders demonstrating they have ordered new buses and eligible infrastructure. After the selectees submit the proper forms, they will be eligible to receive rebate funds.
To learn more about the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program, applicant eligibility, selection process, and informational webinar dates for future rounds of funding, visit the Clean School Bus Program website. Questions about applying for funding may be directed to cleanschoolbus@epa.gov. Questions about Clean School Bus Program technical assistance may be directed to CleanSchoolBusTA@nrel.gov.
About the Clean School Bus Program
EPA’s Clean School Bus Program was created under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and provides an unprecedented $5 billion of funding to transform the nation’s fleet of school buses. The Clean School Bus Program funds clean school buses, including electric buses, compressed natural gas (CNG) and propane buses that 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. Air pollution from older diesel engines, which disproportionately impact communities of color and Tribal communities, is linked to asthma and other conditions that harm students’ health and can cause them to miss school. Replacing these older diesel engines with zero- or low-emission buses will ensure cleaner air for students, bus drivers, school staff working near 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 Program will benefit school districts as they upgrade to cost saving and fuel-efficient school bus fleets, by replacing existing buses with brand new zero-emission and clean school buses and freeing up needed resources for schools.
In April 2023, EPA announced the availability of at least $400 million for its 2023 Clean School Bus Grants through a Notice of Funding Opportunity. The grant application period closed in August 2023 with an outstanding response from applicants seeking to purchase electric and low-emission school buses. Given the overwhelming demand and large number of high-scoring applications, including applicants in low-income communities, Tribal nations, and territories, EPA has nearly doubled the amount of funding that will be awarded nationally today to approximately $965 million. These awards follow over $875 million obligated to new buses from the Clean School Bus Program’s 2022 Rebates, which funded the replacement of 2,366 buses at 372 school districts to further improve air quality in and around schools, advance environmental justice, reduce greenhouse gas pollution fueling the climate crisis, and accelerate America’s leadership in developing the clean vehicles of the future.
Prioritized school districts in low-income, rural, and/or Tribal communities make up approximately 86% of the projects selected for funding. The program delivers on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution.
For more information, please email CleanSchoolBus@epa.gov.
View the full list of Clean School Bus Grantees here.