Starting in 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency will put $1 billion toward helping schools purchase electric school buses.
While the $500 million the EPA doled out in 2022 is no small chunk of change, the overwhelming popularity of the Clean School Bus Program led the agency to double its funding for next year.
"Together, we can reduce climate pollution, improve air quality and reduce the risk of health impacts like asthma for as many as 25 million children who ride the bus every day," EPA administrator Michael Regan said, according to the Associated Press.
This past year, about 2,000 schools applied for funding through the program, a total of $4 billion in inquiries.
This level of interest makes sense — besides the fact that gas prices are quite high, zero and low-emissions buses are much better for children's health. That's why the American Lung Association urged Congress to invest at least $20 billion in clean bus programs.
America's school districts delivered this message loud and clear — we must replace older, dirty school buses.
Assisting school districts in purchasing clean buses also helps fight the overheating of our earth. Instead of polluting the air with planet-warming gases, buses across the nation can run entirely on clean energy sources.
This combination of benefits led schools from every state to request funds from the Clean School Bus Rebate program.
"We're working across all 50 states to accelerate the transition to a future where clean, zero-emissions school buses are the American standard," Regan said. "America's school districts delivered this message loud and clear — we must replace older, dirty school buses."
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