In Los Angeles today, the Newsom administration and local officials are celebrating the allocation of $500 million for clean school buses.
The efforts are part of the Create more agendas faster to make infrastructure improvements across the state. Find projects in your community at build.ca.gov.
The program is a collaboration between the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Energy Commission (CEC) and is administered by CALSTART, a nonprofit transportation organization.
Zero-emission school buses play a key role in California’s efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 and help protect children who are particularly vulnerable to the health effects of diesel exhaust. In California, all school buses purchased by school districts must be zero-emission by 2035, with an extension to 2040 for school districts in rural communities.
The time children spend on the school bus accounts for less than 10% of their day, but according to one study, the rides contribute 33% of a child’s daily exposure to certain air pollutants. study funded by CARB.
To date, California has awarded over $1.3 billion in incentives to school districts, which have funded more than 2,300 zero-emission school buses, 1,100 of which are already in service. Over 70% of the zero-emission buses in service are in the state’s most polluted communities. More than 300 California school districts and local education agencies have purchased at least one zero-emission bus—and some have switched to one. 100% clean fleet.
Award winners can receive up to $375,000 to replace internal combustion engine school buses with zero-emission vehicles. In addition, they will receive up to $95,000 per school bus to purchase and install the appropriate charging infrastructure. Award winners must scrap one old school bus for each new bus purchased.
