EPA awards 11 Pennsylvania school districts $34.6M to purchase clean buses

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Pennsylvania recently awarded 11 school districts $34.6 million in EPA Clean School Bus Program grants to purchase 89 clean school buses.

The funding is through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that includes $5 billion for low- and zero-emission school buses over the next five years.

“Thousands of school buses transport students to and from school each day in cities and towns across the commonwealth, so these grants will go a long way toward reducing our carbon footprint and ensuring reliable, safe, and clean transportation for Pennsylvania’s most precious cargo — our children,” Eric Hagarty, Pennsylvania Department of Education acting secretary, said.

Grants awards ranged from $30,000 to $9.87 million for the purchase of between one and 25 buses. The largest awards were granted to Scranton School District in Lackawanna County ($9.87 million) for 25 buses and Greater Nanticoke Area School District in Luzerne County ($5.9 million) for 15 buses.

The state’s Department of Environmental Protection also offers school districts grant funding for clean diesel and electric school buses.

The Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant program offers grants for alternative fuel and electric vehicles, alternative fuel refueling, and electric-vehicle charging stations.

The Driving PA Forward program offers grants for Class 8 clean diesel and electric vehicles.