Charging Ahead: EPA and Rhode Island Delegation celebrate Children's Health Month with Clean School Buses bringing healthier air to children and families in Pawtucket
EPA's Clean School Bus Rebate Program is funding 45 new clean school buses in five school districts across Rhode Island, including nearly $8 million in rebate funding to purchase 22 zero-emission school buses for Pawtucket
PAWTUCKET, R.I. (Oct. 9, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), alongside U.S. Senator Jack Reed, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. Representative Gabe Amo, Pawtucket Mayor Donald R. Grebien, and Pawtucket School District Superintendent Patricia Royal, gathered today to celebrate Children's Health Month and funding for 45 new clean school buses in five school districts across Rhode Island. Among these, Pawtucket is receiving $7.63 million in rebate funding to purchase 22 zero-emission buses through the EPA's Clean School Bus Program.
October, recognized as Children's Health Month, emphasizes the critical link between a healthy environment and children's well-being. The EPA's Clean School Bus Program is a key player in advancing this goal by accelerating the transition to zero-emission vehicles and replacing older diesel-fueled buses that contribute to asthma and other respiratory conditions, particularly affecting children in overburdened communities. These new electric buses will not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also enhance the air quality for students, bus drivers, and nearby communities, leading to healthier outcomes for children.
In honor of Children's Health Month, EPA and its partners gathered with students, school staff, and bus suppliers in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, to highlight the multiple benefits of the Clean School Bus Program—lowering air pollution, protecting children's health, and saving school districts money. The recent round of Clean School Bus rebates, announced in May, allocated over $12 million to Rhode Island, providing funding for 45 new clean buses across the state.
"Every child deserves clean air to breathe, and our Clean School Bus Program is helping make that a reality for students in Pawtucket and across Rhode Island, no matter their zip code," said EPA Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "As we celebrate Children's Health Month, it's important to recognize the critical role clean air plays in the health and well-being of our children. By replacing older, diesel-powered buses with zero-emission models, we're ensuring healthier air for students, bus drivers, and communities. This effort not only reduces asthma-causing pollutants and fights climate change, but it also saves schools fuel and maintenance costs. The buses we're celebrating today are a win-win-win-win for public health, the environment, our schools, and the future of our children."
"This new federal funding to replace old, diesel school buses with new, clean, electric school buses is a win for students, families, school districts, and taxpayers. It's also a cost-effective, environmentally friendly investment that will pay off for years to come by reducing fuel and maintenance costs," said U.S. Senator Jack Reed. "These new buses will reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. I look forward to helping more local school districts and communities successfully compete for additional funding."
"Our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continues to make smart investments in Rhode Island's clean energy future," said U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who cosponsored legislation reauthorizing the Clean School Bus Program as a senior member of the Environment and Public Works Committee. "This federal funding will help five Rhode Island school districts purchase state-of-the-art electric buses that will get kids to school safely and protect the health of students and surrounding communities by reducing harmful emissions."
"Rhode Island's kids deserve to breathe clean air all the time so that they can learn, grow and achieve their dreams," said U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner. "This federal funding will go toward purchasing electric school buses that will ensure cleaner air for students and the communities they live in."
"By dedicating federal funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to help electrify school bus fleets in Rhode Island, we do our part to afford cleaner air for students, reducing our state's carbon footprint and saving resources for Rhode Islanders," said U.S. Representative Gabe Amo. "I thank my colleagues for their partnership and our local officials who are working together to make sure that our state — and our state's school districts — continue to lead the way in this effort."
"As Mayor of Pawtucket, I am thrilled to see our city taking this important step forward for the health and future of our children. Every child deserves to breathe clean air on their way to school, and through the EPA's Clean School Bus Program, we are making that vision a reality. This effort will help reduce pollution, improve public health, and set an example of how we can all come together to prioritize the well-being of our young people. I want to thank the EPA, our federal partners, and the Pawtucket School District for their collaboration as we work to build a healthier, more sustainable Pawtucket for all," said Pawtucket Mayor Donald R. Grebien.
"This celebration is a significant step forward in our district's commitment to a healthier, more sustainable future with the introduction of electric school buses. These buses represent more than just new vehicles -- they symbolize our dedication to ensuring the well-being of our students, staff, and the community at large," said Pawtucket School District Superintendent Patricia Royal.
"By transitioning to zero-emission school buses, we're not only improving air quality for students and their communities, but we're also paving the way for a cleaner, more sustainable future. The partnership between the EPA, local governments, and school districts is a powerful example of how we can work together to deliver tangible health benefits and reduce our environmental impact. First Student is proud to support Pawtucket and other districts across Rhode Island as we collectively move towards a future where every child can breathe cleaner air on their way to school," said Kevin Matthews, Head of Electrification, First Student.
In addition to Pawtucket, the 2023 Clean School Bus rebates will help selectees purchase clean school buses in four other school districts in Rhode Island:
- Providence Preparatory Charter has been selected to receive $690,000 in rebate funding to purchase two clean school buses.
- Jamestown has been selected to receive $910,000 in rebate funding to purchase five clean school buses.
- Lincoln has been selected to receive $2,000,000 in rebate funding to purchase 10 clean school buses.
- Westerly has been selected to receive $1,165,000 in rebate funding to purchase six clean school buses.
On Sept. 26, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the latest round of funding from the Clean School Bus Rebate Program with up to $965 million available to school districts. The Biden-Harris Administration's Investing in America agenda continues to accelerate the transition of the nearly 500,000 school buses in America to cleaner technologies, helping to protect the more than 25 million children who ride a school bus every day from harmful air pollution. This fourth round of funding will build on the previous nearly $3 billion in investments being distributed nationwide to further improve air quality in and around schools, reduce greenhouse gas pollution fueling the climate crisis, and help accelerate America's leadership in developing the clean vehicles of the future.
The 2024 Clean School Bus Rebate Competition
Applications for this year's Clean School Bus Rebate Program are due on the EPA online portal by 4 p.m. EST on January 9, 2025. Applicants can request up to $325,000 per bus for up to 50 buses per application, an increase in the total buses per project in response to stakeholder feedback for larger projects to help achieve faster fleet turnover. Funds can be used to cover bus and infrastructure costs for awardees requesting electric school buses, as well as eligible training costs for bus drivers, electricians, and others working with the new buses or infrastructure.
Selectees may also be eligible for Inflation Reduction Act tax credits applicable to their bus and infrastructure purchases. For example, the clean vehicle tax credits for qualifying school buses are worth up to $40,000. Narrowing the cost difference between clean school buses and diesel school buses remains an integral goal of the EPA Clean School Bus Program. The agency adjusted electric school bus funding levels in this rebate program to help stretch funding further and drive down long-term electric school bus costs.
EPA is committed to ensuring the Clean School Bus Program advances environmental justice and delivers on President Biden's Justice40 Initiative, which sets a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. EPA will prioritize applications that replace buses serving low-income, rural, and Tribal students. Large school districts with communities of concentrated poverty may also submit documentation to be prioritized if their application focuses on clean school buses serving those communities.
The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to investing federal dollars in a way that drives high-quality job creation and inclusive economic growth in the clean energy economy. It's a priority for EPA that school districts prepare for how to support their workers, including bus drivers, mechanics, and other essential personnel, to safely operate and maintain the new buses and maintain high labor standards. As a result, workforce training is an eligible use of program funds, and EPA strongly encourages school districts to develop comprehensive workforce plans in partnership with their employees to help them prepare for the transition to clean school buses.
EPA is working closely with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (JOET) of the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Transportation to provide school districts with support as they plan for and implement adding electric school buses to their fleets. Clean School Bus Program applicants and selectees can receive free technical assistance from JOET through resources such as one-on-one meetings and public webinars. The EPA and JOET are also able to connect school districts with local utility providers to assist them in the infrastructure planning necessary for projects including battery-electric school buses.
Proactive and ongoing communication with key stakeholders such as school boards and local utilities is critical to successful bus and infrastructure deployment. This rebate cycle incorporates a number of best practices to ensure that these key stakeholders are engaged and coordinating effectively. More information regarding required application materials are available in the Program Guide on the Clean School Bus Rebate Program webpage.
EPA is accepting rebate applications from Sept. 26 until Jan. 9, 2025.
EPA Clean School Bus Program Overview
EPA's Clean School Bus Program was created by President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides an unprecedented $5 billion of funding to transform the nation's fleet of school buses. The Clean School Bus Program funds zero and low-emission buses, including electric, propane, and compressed natural gas (CNG) buses that produce lower tailpipe emissions compared to that of their older diesel predecessors.
Diesel air pollution is linked to asthma and other public health problems that cause serious health concerns and missed days of school, with outsized impacts in overburdened communities. New zero-emission and clean buses will not only reduce air pollution and help address the outsized role of the transportation sector on climate change, but will also produce cleaner air for students, bus drivers, school staff working near bus loading areas, and people living in communities that buses drive through each day. Over the lifespan of the vehicles, clean school buses can also cost less to maintain and fuel than the older buses they are replacing – freeing up needed resources for schools.
EPA's Clean School Bus Program is now responsible for over two-thirds of the committed electric school buses across the country, and each of these clean buses provide immediate public health and educational benefits as soon as the new buses hit the road. This funding, along with help from states and others, is helping transform the school bus market.
School districts will proceed with purchasing and deploying their new buses in a time frame that best suits their unique situation, including factors like the number of new buses they're deploying, need for utility upgrades, and familiarity with new bus technologies. As the project period comes to a close for the first funding opportunity, the 2022 CSB Rebates, EPA anticipates that many of the first wave of these zero-emission and clean school buses will be in service for the 2024-2025 school year, while many buses funded under subsequent funding opportunities, such as the 2023 CSB Rebates, will be in service for the 2025-2026 school year. To learn more about the EPA Clean School Bus Program, visit the Clean School Bus Program webpage.
For materials to engage students and communities about clean school buses, including an electric school bus activity book for elementary school students available in both English and Spanish, as well as educational guides for parents or teachers, visit: https://www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus/resources-engage-your-community.
Follow EPA New England on Instagram and learn more about protecting human health and the environment, funding opportunities in your community, regulatory actions, opportunities to #BeEPA and more on EPA New England's Instagram account: @epa_newengland.
News Release Translations: