U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is accelerating school bus transitions to all-electric vehicles.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan was in Alma, Kan., recently to visit Wabaunsee United School District 329 and celebrate the delivery of the state's first all-electric school buses, according to a Feb. 8 EPA news release.
"We are moving faster than ever to accelerate the transition to electric and low-emission school buses, and new electric school buses in rural school districts like Wabaunsee USD 329 are a shining of example of what we can accomplish when we invest in America," Regan said in the news release. "The Biden-Harris administration is committed to building on this work and making investments accessible to more rural communities by partnering with electric utilities who have pledged to support school bus electrification."
Students, school officials and community leaders were onhand during Regan's visit, which aimed to highlight how initiatives like EPA's Clean School Bus Program is working to environmental and economic benefits for communities like Wabaunsee, according to the news release.
"Regan also announced a new pledge from electric utility partners to support efforts to electrify the nation's school bus fleet," the news release said.
EPA plans to spend $5 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law through 2026 to replace diesel school buses with low- and zero-emission alternatives. The Wabaunsee school district was among the 400 school districts to benefit from $790,000 in rebates, in partnership with Lion Electric, to purchase two Type C electric school buses, according to the release.
Edison Electric Institute and the Beneficial Electrification League joined with EPA to support school bus electrification and increase funding and deployment for electric school buses, the release reported. School districts that received rebates can now purchase new buses and other eligible infrastructure as EPA partners with the U.S. Departments of Energy and Transportation to provide robust technical assistance aimed at ensuring effective implementation of the programs.
