Federal News Network’s Post

🚌🌱 Imagine a quieter, cleaner, and healthier environment for our children. That's the promise of electric school buses, and here's how they can positively impact #Connecticut: 📉 Noise Pollution Electric buses are significantly quieter than diesel buses, bringing peace to our neighborhoods and enhancing the learning environment for students. 🌍 Emissions Reduction Switching to electric means zero tailpipe emissions, drastically cutting down pollutants that contribute to smog and respiratory issues. This is a crucial step for Connecticut, given our urgent air quality challenges. 💪 Public Health Benefits Cleaner air means healthier kids! Reduced exposure to harmful pollutants can decrease respiratory problems like asthma, leading to fewer school absences and a healthier future for our children. 💰 Economic Efficiency Though the initial investment is higher, electric buses offer lower total ownership costs thanks to savings on fuel and maintenance. This means more money could potentially be redirected towards enhancing educational resources. 📚 Educational Opportunities This transition isn't just about transportation—it's a live lesson in sustainability and technology. It sets a fantastic example for students and the community, showing that proactive environmental action is within our reach. 🚧 Moving Forward Connecticut is already investing in infrastructure like charging stations and working on multiple fronts to meet these demands. From grid demand data analysis and modernization to solar, wind, and nuclear, and more, it is happening here. The goal? To ensure our shift to emission-free energy also supports broader renewable energy use and a thriving economy. This is Connecticut. We are built to innovate and will continue to lead in high-tech, clean, and efficient solutions to meet our goals and leave our state better for generations to come. #ElectricVehicles #Sustainability #CleanEnergy #PublicHealth #Education #ElectricBus

🚍💚 We are thrilled to share that six #Connecticut school districts will be receiving a substantial $21.5 million to fund the purchase of 91 electric school buses. This funding, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is a significant step toward cleaner air and a healthier environment for our children. “This is wonderful news for Connecticut, as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continues to deliver for our residents, and especially our school children. Connecticut suffers from some of the worst air quality in the United States, and our children riding on school buses are acutely exposed to the harms of heavy-duty vehicle exhaust. The transportation sector is responsible for 67% of smog-forming air pollution in our state, which exacerbates respiratory illnesses such as asthma. It is also by far the leading contributor of greenhouse gas pollution in our atmosphere, which is driving the climate crisis. We are grateful to the Biden Administration and Connecticut’s Congressional delegation for delivering this impactful funding, which will put 91 more clean-running electric buses on our roads. DEEP is doing its part to support these towns through the CT Clean School Bus program, which will provide funding to help towns implement these EPA awards. We encourage towns to visit the CT Clean School Bus webpage and sign up to receive updates on this program.” - Commissioner Katie Scharf Dykes We're thankful for the support from the Biden Administration and Connecticut’s Congressional delegation in securing this impactful funding. 🌍🍃 For more details on how your town can participate and benefit from the CT Clean School Bus program, check out our website and follow us on LinkedIn for more updates and big news like this from the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. 🔗 EPA Region One’s Connecticut announcement: Biden-Harris Administration announces nearly $21.5 million in rebates for Clean School Buses across Connecticut as part of Investing in America agenda | US EPA (https://lnkd.in/exu8PZCf) 🔗 CT Clean School Bus Program (https://lnkd.in/eZmxdxEz) 🔗 EPA Clean School Bus Program Awards (https://lnkd.in/e8PEpmiV) #CleanEnergy #ElectricVehicles #SustainableTransport #Education #ElectricBus #PublicHealth

Share the news about yesterday's Clean School Bus 2023 Rebate Announcement: https://lnkd.in/gbdXKmwg The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that applications for the Clean School Bus (CSB) 2023 Rebate Program are now open. This program provides rebates to school districts to help them purchase electric and other clean school buses. The program prioritizes school districts that serve low-income students and students of color. The CSB Rebate Program is a great opportunity for school districts to reduce their emissions and improve the health of their students and communities. Electric school buses produce zero emissions, which helps to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They are also quieter than traditional diesel buses, which can create a more conducive learning environment for students. #CleanSchoolBus #CSBRebate #ClimateAction #ElectricSchoolBuses #SchoolTransportation #EnvironmentalJustice #Sustainability

Electric school buses were not an easy sell in the tiny unincorporated town of Martinsville. And yet the modest school district there has become the first in Texas to entirely replace its diesel school bus fleet with no-emissions electric buses. Martinsville Independent School District applied for and received a $1.6 million grant last year from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Its Clean School Bus Program — funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021 — is investing $5 billion to replace existing school buses with zero-emissions and low-emissions models across the country, especially in school districts that serve rural areas or low-income students. This story was first published by The Texas Tribune: https://bit.ly/3RUYgrM #texas #electrification #decarbonization #transportation #electricvehicles

EPA announces nearly $1 billion in grant funding for clean energy school buses across the U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency has announced the selection of 67 applicants to receive nearly $1 billion through the agency’s first Clean School Bus Program Grants Competition. The awards, which are funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will enable awardees to purchase over 2,700 clean school buses in 280 school districts serving over 7 million students across 37 states according to an EPA news release. Approximately 95 percent of the new buses will be electric. To date, the Biden Administration has provided approximately $2 billion across 650 school districts and funded around 5,000 electric and low-emission school buses nationwide. This story can be read in its entirety (no paywall) on the Wolters Kluwer Vital Law site at  https://lnkd.in/gdWyxvZx. As reported by Brad Rosen #EPA #BipartisanInfrastructureLaw #CleanEnergy #ZeroEmissions #EnvironmentalJustice 

🚌🔋🌱 The shift towards electric school buses in Martinsville, Texas, represents a significant step in combating both climate change and improving public health. #ElectricSchoolBuses #CleanEnergyFuture #ClimateAction #HealthyCommunities #SustainableTransportation https://lnkd.in/gP2aHjNF

Students are winning with 2,675 #electric school buses set to cut HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF POUNDS OF LOCAL AIR POLLUTION! The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Clean School Bus Grants Program invested nearly $1 billion into making the daily ride cleaner for communities in 280 districts. Learn more in the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy's article about the nationwide impact of the Clean School Bus Program.

From The Charlotte Observer: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is pressing the accelerator on its rollout of electric school buses. CMS is one of 15 school districts in the state of North Carolina, and 531 nationwide, selected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to split $900 million in grant funding to replace old, diesel-powered school buses with electric models. CMS is getting a total of $8.6 million for 25 buses. Including those grant-funded vehicles, the district is bringing in 55 electric buses over the next three school years. It will debut three electric buses in August and 27 more the following school year. The 25 buses funded by the federal grant will enter the fleet in the 2026-2027 year.

Did you know that New Jersey has an electric school bus program? There is a webinar on February 1st to learn more! Of the 21,700 school buses registered in New Jersey, over 99% run on fossil fuels. While providing vital transportation services, these buses negatively impact the health of students and residents of the communities in which they operate. To address this issue, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s (NJDEP) Electric School Bus Grant program provides up to $15,000,000 per year for three years to replace diesel school buses with battery-electric school buses. #climatechange #climateaction #renewableenergy #nj https://lnkd.in/ek5mWZmb

The Biden administration has unveiled a $1 billion funding initiative for over 2,700 electric and low-emission school buses in 37 states. Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland will receive $4.7 million for 50 new buses. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program has now provided nearly $2 billion, supporting around 5,000 electric and low-emission school buses nationwide. However, a recent report from the Office of Inspector General raises concerns about potential delays caused by local utility companies addressing the demand for electric school buses. Notably, approximately 86% of the selected projects in the new funding round target low-income public school districts and tribal communities. #CleanEnergy #SchoolBuses #EnvironmentalProtection #SustainableTransportation