Biden Administration Announces Additional Almost $500M for Clean School Buses Following High Demand
The EPA received nearly 2,000 applications, totaling about $4 billion in requests.
- By Alex Saurman
- Oct 07, 2022
Earlier this year, the Biden-Harris administration announced that $500 million would be available for new school buses. Now, the administration is nearly doubling the funds.
After what the EPA calls an “overwhelming demand,” the administration decided to increase the funds to $965 million for new or zero-emissions school buses, according to an EPA news release. Nearly 2,000 applications were sent in from May to August 2022, with applicants requesting a grand total of about $4 billion.
Over 90 percent of applicants requested funding for zero-emission electric buses, per the EPA, with almost nine percent requesting funding for propane buses and one percent for compressed natural gas (CNG) buses.
Every year, 25 million children ride the bus to and from school. A report from the National Resources Defense Council, the Coalition for Clean Air and the University of California, Berkley noted that pollution inside of the bus can be four times greater than outside of the bus. The study’s authors also noted that the pollution can pose a cancer risk for some children.
Replacing school buses with clean buses can protect children’s health and benefit the environment by reducing greenhouse gases and providing cleaner air.
“America’s school districts delivered this message loud and clear – we must replace older, dirty diesel school buses. Together, we can reduce climate pollution, improve air quality, and reduce the risk of health impacts like asthma for as many as 25 million children who ride the bus every day,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan in the news release.
The agency said it expects to announce recipients in the following months.
About the Author
Alex Saurman is the Content Editor for Environmental Protection.