Vice President Kamala Harris has announced federal actions that will expand clean public transit and school buses as part of an effort to modernize public transit that connects people to their jobs and schools.
As part of the program, The Environmental Protection Agency is awarding $17 million to fund electric zero-emission and low-emission school buses. Through the American Rescue Plan, $7 million is being awarded to replace old diesel school buses in underserved communities with new, zero-emission electric buses.
In addition, $10 million is being awarded to replace old diesel school buses with new cleaner buses through the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act School Bus Rebate Program.
This funding complements the $5 billion in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for clean school buses, the first portion of which will become available in the coming months.
The actions leverage investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and American Rescue Plan investments, as well as a new proposed rule that would set heavy-duty vehicle emissions standards.
According to a briefing fact sheet, “These actions are designed to deliver better transportation for the American people, while reducing air pollution that has long overburdened low-income communities and communities of color. They also boost American leadership on the zero-emissions transit, trucking, and port technologies of the future — to create good-paying, union jobs, improve public health, and confront climate change.”