Trucks Clips: May 29, 2024

 

 

Federal Highway Admin. (FHWA)

 

FHWA Promotes Chief Counsel To Deputy Administrator — “Dive Brief: The Federal Highway Administration promoted its chief counsel, Kristin White, to deputy administrator after less than a year in her prior role, the agency announced last week. White, co-founder and former executive director of the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s connected and automated vehicles program, took on the new role May 20, according to the agency. White’s elevation fills the vacancy created by former Deputy Administrator Andrew Rogers’ departure in January. Rogers joined EpicWorks Advisors and LSN Partners, according to his LinkedIn.” [Trucking Dive, 5/28/24 (=)]

 

 

 

Schools In 47 States To Get EPA Funds For Clean Buses — “EPA announced this week that it has awarded about $900 million to school districts across the country to buy clean school buses. The money will come in the form of rebates to participating school districts, and it will help pay for about 3,400 buses in 531 school systems in 47 states, plus the District of Columbia and several tribal regions and U.S. territories. This is the third time EPA has doled out money for clean school buses through a program that was established under the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law. Cumulatively, EPA has awarded about $3 billion for 8,500 buses. About 90 percent of the funding has gone to electric buses. Most of the rest has been for propane-powered buses. By replacing older, diesel-powered buses, the program is aimed at cutting climate warming emissions as well as soot and toxic pollution that primarily affect low-income communities.” [E&E News, 5/29/24 (+)]

 

EPA To Deliver $900 Million For Clean School Buses Nationwide — “The EPA on Wednesday will release nearly $900 million to school districts across the country for clean school buses, a key plank of the Biden administration’s environmental agenda. The buses have emerged as a symbol of the White House’s agenda because they fulfill goals to reduce greenhouse gas pollution, give a jolt to the bus and battery manufacturing industries, and improve air quality—especially in low-income communities, which will get 67% of the new funding. ‘This announcement is not just about clean school buses,’ Michael Regan, head of the Environmental Protection Agency, told reporters on Tuesday. ‘It’s about the bigger picture.’ ‘We’re sending a strong demand signal for clean school buses, and we’re already seeing the response,’ said Natalie Quillian, White House deputy chief of staff.” [Bloomberg Law, 5/29/24 (=)]

 

School Districts Receive $900M From EPA To Fund Electric School Buses — “The Biden administration has issued the next round of funding aimed at cleaning up the country’s school bus fleet. On Wednesday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded nearly $900 million in rebates to help more than 500 school districts buy about 3,400 clean school buses — 92 percent of them electric. With this new round, nearly $3 billion in funding has been awarded to date from a $5 billion program created by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The first round of rebates, nearly $1 billion awarded in October 2022, enabled about 370 school districts to order some 2,500 electric school buses across the country. A second round of nearly $1 billion in grants issued this January provided 67 applicants with money to buy more than 2,700 clean school buses serving 280 school districts. Almost all of the roughly 500,000 school buses operating in the U.S. are diesel-fueled. Replacing those with clean buses could eliminate about 8 million metric tons per year of carbon emissions. Aside from their climate impact, diesel buses emit air pollution harmful to the health of the children who ride them and the communities they operate in.” [Canary Media, 5/29/24 (+)]

 

News From The States | Funds For Clean School Buses Coming To Hundreds Of Districts, White House Says — “As part of its ongoing effort to replace diesel-fueled school buses, the Biden administration on Wednesday said it will provide approximately 530 school districts across nearly all states with almost $1 billion to help them purchase clean school buses. The initiative, part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program rebate competition, will give funds to school districts in 47 states and the District of Columbia to help them buy over 3,400 clean school buses. Alaska, Hawaii and Nevada are not part of this round of funding. Washington state is in line to receive about $24.3 million spread across 16 districts.” [Washington State Standard, 5/29/24 (+)]

 

EPA Releases $875 Million For Cleaner School Buses — “EPA on Wednesday announced it will award $875 million to fund the purchase of over 3,400 school buses, the vast majority of them electric. ‘This announcement is not just about school buses. It’s about the bigger picture,’ EPA Administrator Michael Regan told reporters on Tuesday. ‘We’re improving air quality for our children, reducing greenhouse gas pollution and expanding our nation’s leadership and developing the cleaner vehicles of the future.’ The funding is the third round of money included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021 to fund the replacement of older diesel-powered buses. Prior rounds awarded almost $3 billion to fund 8,500 school bus replacements, according to EPA. Details: The money will fund the purchase of 3,441 school buses in over 530 school districts across the nation, according to a list of selectees. Of those, 3,177 buses, or 92 percent, will be electric. Another 263 will run on propane, while one school district in North Dakota is getting $20,000 to buy a single bus that runs on compressed natural gas. Both have lower emissions that older diesel engines.” [Politico, 5/29/24 (+)]

 

US Gives School Districts $900 Million For Electric School Buses — “The White House on Wednesday unveiled nearly $900 million in awards to 530 school districts to replace thousands of aging, gas-fueled school buses with cleaner, mainly electric models. The funding is the third tranche of $5 billion that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hand out over five years through a clean school bus program created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021. WHY IT IS IMPORTANT The EPA’s clean school bus program is part of a broader push by President Joe Biden’s administration to upgrade public school infrastructure and reduce pollution from old buses. It also helps deliver on Biden’s pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions, funnel federal climate investments to underserved communities and create demand for American-made electric vehicles. KEY QUOTE ‘This announcement is not just about clean school buses. It’s about the bigger picture. We are improving air quality for our children, reducing greenhouse gas pollution and expanding our nation’s leadership in developing the clean vehicles of the future,’ EPA Administrator Michael Regan said on a call with reporters. ‘With increasing demand for electric school buses, we’ll see the development of new good-paying manufacturing jobs and investment in local businesses.’” [Reuters, 5/29/24 (=)]

 

Biden Administration Distributes $900 Million To School Districts For Electric Buses — “The Environmental Protection Agency announced on Wednesday that 530 school districts across the country will receive nearly $900 million to replace diesel school buses with electric and natural gas ones. What You Need To Know The Environmental Protection Agency announced on Wednesday that 530 school districts across the country will receive nearly $900 million to replace diesel school buses with electric and natural gas ones In total, the funds will go towards 3,400 new school buses, the Biden administration said, 92% of which will be electric and the other 8% will be fueled by less pollutant propane or natural gas The funding comes from the Environmental Protection Agency’s $5 billion Clean School Bus Program, created by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Electrifying the entire U.S. school bus fleet could cost as much as $200 billion, Harvard researchers concluded in a study published last week” [Spectrum Local News, 5/29/24 (+)]

 

 

 

States, Greens Want Judgment Over USPS' New Vehicle Plan — “Environmentalists and a coalition of 17 states called on a California federal judge to grant them judgment in litigation alleging the U.S. Postal Service violated the National Environmental Policy Act when it decided to replace its aging delivery fleet with ‘gas-guzzling vehicles.’ In a joint motion for summary judgment filed on Friday, the group maintained that the USPS violated NEPA in four different ways with respect to its Next Generation Delivery Vehicle Acquisitions program — the first of which was when the agency awarded its vehicle acquisition contract to Oshkosh Defense LLC before having started the required environmental review. ‘USPS continued to violate NEPA by awarding contracts before publishing its draft supplemental environmental review. These premature commitments resulted in an environmental review that skewed USPS’s analysis towards its predetermined decision and precluded the full and fair analysis of feasible alternatives required under NEPA,’ the group said.” [Law360, 5/28/24 (=)]

 

 

 

Blue Bird Corp.

 

Workers At Georgia School Bus Maker Blue Bird Approve Their First Union Contract — “A year after they voted to unionize, workers at a Georgia school bus manufacturer have approved their first contract. The United Steelworkers union and Blue Bird Corp. said union members at Blue Bird’s assembly plants and warehouse in Fort Valley have voted to approve a three-year contract between the company and the union. The union said the contract will provide all 1,500 covered workers with at least a 12% raise, with some of the lowest-paid workers getting raises of more than 40%. The union says the company will contribute to a retirement plan for workers, share profits, and improve health and safety. The negotiations had been closely watched by President Joe Biden’s administration, in part because Blue Bird has gotten $40 million in federal aid to build electric school buses.” [ABC News, 5/29/24 (=)]

 

PACCAR, Inc.

 

‘Learned What Worked’: Kenworth’s SuperTruck 2 Improves Freight Efficiency By 136% — “Dive Brief: Kenworth unveiled its SuperTruck 2 last week at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo in Las Vegas, showcasing a one-of-a-kind demonstrator vehicle that challenged traditional design norms. The truck, developed over six years in connection with a Department of Energy program, can reach up to 12.8 mpg, has a combination weight reduction of over 7,000 pounds, and includes regenerative braking to power electric fans, steering and coolant, per a news release. ‘SuperTruck 2 provided us with the opportunity to investigate new technologies in an early stage. We learned what worked and what didn’t,’ Jim Walenczak, general manager of Kenworth and Paccar VP, said in a news release. ‘As a result, we are able to commercialize new technologies much quicker than we would have otherwise.’” [Trucking Dive, 5/28/24 (=)]

 

Tesla, Inc.

 

Tesla Semi: Will It Ever Live Up To The Hype? — “Since Elon Musk first showed off a prototype in 2017, Tesla has been promising its Class 8 electric truck would change freight transportation in the U.S. Despite only delivering dozens of trucks to fleet customers over the past seven years, the EV automaker is still making promises about the Tesla Semi’s future dominance in trucking while the rest of the industry continues to focus on the real world. Dan Priestley, Tesla’s senior manager of Semi truck engineering, said last week that the automaker plans to not just exist in the world of heavy-duty trucking but to dominate it. ‘When we talk scale, we’re talking big scale,’ Priestley noted in front of a packed audience on the 2024 Advanced Clean Transportation Expo’s main stage at the Las Vegas Convention Center’s West Hall. He said the automaker’s Nevada Gigafactory would start serial production of the Class 8 battery-electric truck in 2026, with ‘an eventual target capacity of 50,000 units a year.’” [FleetOwner, 5/28/24 (=)]

 

 

 

Penske Transportation Services

 

Penske Forms EV Infrastructure Advisory JV With Mitsui Unit — “Penske Transportation Solutions and ForeFront Power are teaming up for an electric vehicle infrastructure advisory joint venture to be known as Penske Energy, the partners said May 21. The partners aim to help commercial fleet operators plan, design and deploy charging infrastructure. Penske — best known as a leasing and rental specialist — operates more than 448,000 vehicles. Penske Logistics ranks No. 15 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America and No. 16 on the TT Top 100 list of the largest logistics companies. ForeFront, a subsidiary of Japanese trading house Mitsui and Co., develops commercial and industrial-scale solar energy and battery storage projects in the U.S. and Mexico, plus charging infrastructure. Mitsui also is a Penske shareholder.” [Transport Topics, 5/28/24 (=)]

 

 

 

Industry-Led ZEV Infrastructure Group Sees Membership Rise — “Powering America’s Commercial Transportation finalized its initial membership cohort in recent days with 24 founding members, almost double the number revealed when the zero-emission infrastructure lobbying coalition was announced in January. Conceived by truck makers Daimler Truck North America, Navistar Inc. and Volvo Group North America, PACT aims to accelerate the deployment of refueling infrastructure for medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles by convincing lawmakers and cstakeholders of the merits of expediting decarbonization. Penske Truck Leasing was announced as the final charter member of the coalition May 13 alongside the three truck makers and will take a seat on its board as a result. Paul Rosa, senior vice president of procurement and fleet planning, will fill the board seat, the company said.” [Transport Topics, 5/28/24 (+)]

 

Shippers, Private Fleets Aim For Sustainability — “Despite higher costs, some large shippers and carriers continue to invest in alternative fuels and zero-emission transportation to meet their corporate sustainability objectives in the years and decades ahead. The furniture retailer Ikea, for example, does not operate its own fleet but has committed to shipping its goods using only zero-emission trucks and ocean vessels by 2040. In the nearer term, the company aims to reduce its transportation emissions 70% by 2030 compared with 2017 levels. ‘Where we are heading is a clean and fair transport flow,’ Elisabeth Fauvelle Munck af Rosenschöld, Ikea’s global sustainability manager, said during a May 20 panel discussion at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo.” [Transport Topics, 5/28/24 (+)]

 

Districts, Contractors Discuss School Bus Electrification Journey At ACT EXPO — “Representatives from school districts and bus contractors that are leading the EV charge discussed the benefits as well as challenges to adopting electric school buses. The ‘Achieving School Bus Fleet Electrification’ panel on May 22 was moderated by Brad Beauchamp, the alternative fuels manager from Blue Bird and discussed everything from EV adoption to infrastructure to funding. For instance, Craig Beaver, the administrator for transportation for Beaverton School District in Oregon located near Portland, said that in his over 25-year career in pupil transportation he has never seen the amount of funding offered today for school buses and will probably never again. ‘We need to take advantage of it,’ he told attendees. Beaverton School District currently has a fleet of 310 school buses, 25 of which are electric and 65 that are powered by renewable propane. The remaining buses run on renewable diesel. Beaverton will have an additional 80 EVs by June 2025 that are currently on order after receiving EPA Clean School Bus Program and other grants. ACT Expo recognized Beaverton with its Leading Public Fleet award on May 20.” [School Transportation News, 5/28/24 (=)]

 

 

 

Alabama

 

Seven Alabama School Districts Getting Federal Money For Clean Buses — “As part of its ongoing effort to replace diesel-fueled school buses, the Biden administration on Wednesday said it will provide approximately 530 school districts across nearly all states with almost $1 billion to help them purchase clean school buses. The initiative, part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program rebate competition, will give funds to school districts in 47 states and the District of Columbia to help them buy over 3,400 clean school buses. Alaska, Hawaii and Nevada are not part of this round of funding. … Seven school districts in Alabama should get $7.865 million for requests for 24 electric buses. … These Alabama school districts are slated to get funding under the program: Selma City: $1.725 million; 5 electric buses requested. Fort Payne City: $1.380 million; 4 electric buses requested. Jasper City: $690,000; 2 electric buses requested. Clay County: $1.035 million; 3 electric buses requested. Gulf Shores City: $600,000; 3 electric buses requested. Montgomery County: $690,000; 2 electric buses requested. Lanett City $1.745 million; 5 electric buses requested.” [Washington State Standard, 5/29/24 (=)]

 

California

 

Charging Station To Help Port Of Long Beach’s Zero-Emission Future — “Forum Mobility broke ground on a charging depot at the Port of Long Beach, with operations expected to commence in the fall, according to a May 15 press release. The charging complex, called ‘FM Harbor,’ will eventually be used to power several hundred trucks daily, including Amazon’s fleet of Volvo VNR Electric trucks operating at the port, Forum Mobility said in a LinkedIn post. Several of Amazon’s trucks have already been charging at a customer’s site. FM Harbor will be equipped with 44 dispensers and 9 megawatts of power. In May, Amazon announced plans to roll out its largest fleet of heavy-duty electric trucks in California — almost 50 Volvo VNRs for first- and middle-mile operations. Twelve of the trucks are set to come online this year for drayage operations at the San Pedro Bay ports. Amazon is working toward its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, per a press release. The company has been operating electric yard tractors since 2019, and has deployed more than 13,500 electric delivery vans since 2022. The company has also installed more than 45 direct-current fast chargers across 11 sites to power its vehicles.” [Trucking Dive, 5/28/24 (=)]

 

Indiana

 

Funds For Clean School Buses Coming To Hundreds Of Districts, White House Says  — “As part of its ongoing effort to replace diesel-fueled school buses, the Biden administration on Wednesday said it will provide approximately 530 school districts across nearly all states with almost $1 billion to help them purchase clean school buses. The initiative, part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program rebate competition, will give funds to school districts in 47 states and the District of Columbia to help them buy over 3,400 clean school buses. … Here is a list of Indiana schools receiving funds: Steel City Academy — $2.45 million North Central Parke Community Schools — $345,000 White River Valley Schools — $600,000 Monroe County Community Schools – $5 million Perry Central Community Schools — $690,000 Crawfordsville Community Schools — $400,000 Goshen Community Schools — $1.26 million Greater Clark County Schools — $25,000 MSD Washington Township — $400,000” [Indiana Capital Chronicle, 5/29/24 (+)]

 

Maryland

 

Maryland School Districts Among Hundreds To Get Federal Funds For Clean Buses — “As part of its ongoing effort to replace diesel-fueled school buses, the Biden administration on Wednesday said it will provide approximately 530 school districts across nearly all states with almost $1 billion to help them purchase clean school buses. The initiative, part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program rebate competition, will give funds to school districts in 47 states and the District of Columbia to help them buy over 3,400 clean school buses. Alaska, Hawaii and Nevada are not part of this round of funding. Five Maryland counties – Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Charles and Prince George’s – are set to share $16.7 million from the program, the White House announced. Nearly all of the clean school buses purchased will be electric, at 92%, according to the administration. ‘This announcement is not just about clean school buses, it’s about the bigger picture,’ EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said during a call with reporters on Tuesday, prior to the announcement. ‘We are improving air quality for our children, reducing greenhouse gas pollution and expanding our nation’s leadership in developing the clean vehicles of the future.’” [Maryland Matters, 5/29/24 (+)]

 

Michigan

 

EPA Awards Michigan Schools $24 Million To Replace Diesel Buses — “School districts across Michigan are receiving about $24 million in federal funds to purchase electric or low-emission school buses, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday. The funds have been awarded to 27 districts in Michigan and will go toward the purchase of 100 buses as part of a five-year, $5 billion program approved in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed in 2021. The districts receiving the largest awards are Grand Rapids Public Schools and Kent Intermediate School District in west Michigan. They will receive $5.2 million and $3.1 million, respectively. The EPA’s Clean School Bus Program is meant to support the replacement of older, high-emission school buses linked to health issues such as asthma in children. This latest round of funding builds off prior awards in Michigan: The agency awarded about $52.6 million for Michigan schools to replace 136 buses under the program last year and separately announced in January that Detroit, Lansing and Pontiac schools would receive funds $5.6 million apiece.” [The Detroit News, 5/29/24 (+)]

 

New Hampshire

 

Funds For Clean School Buses Coming To Hundreds Of Districts, White House Says — “As part of its ongoing effort to replace diesel-fueled school buses, the Biden administration on Wednesday said it will provide approximately 530 school districts across nearly all states with almost $1 billion to help them purchase clean school buses. The initiative, part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program rebate competition, will give funds to school districts in 47 states and the District of Columbia to help them buy over 3,400 clean school buses. Alaska, Hawaii, and Nevada are not part of this round of funding. In New Hampshire, nine districts will get funding for the buses, according to the White House. They are (with the number of buses in parentheses): Concord (3), Derry (25), Hanover (3), Hudson (16), Lisbon (1), Litchfield (8), Moultonborough (7), Nashua (22), and Pembroke (25). Nearly all of the clean school buses purchased will be electric, at 92 percent, according to the administration.” [New Hampshire Bulletin, 5/28/24 (+)]

 

New Mexico

 

Albuquerque Public Schools Awarded $6.9M For Federal Clean Bus Initiative — “As part of its ongoing effort to replace diesel-fueled school buses, the Biden administration on Wednesday said it will provide approximately 530 school districts across nearly all states with almost $1 billion to help them purchase clean school buses. The initiative, part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program rebate competition, will give funds to school districts in 47 states and the District of Columbia to help them buy over 3,400 clean school buses. Alaska, Hawaii and Nevada are not part of this round of funding. Nearly all of the clean school buses purchased will be electric, at 92%, according to the administration. Albuquerque Public Schools will receive $6.9 million to help purchase 20 new school buses. It is the only school district in New Mexico to get money from this federal program, according to data released by the White House.” [Washington State Standard, 5/29/24 (=)]

 

New York

 

Syracuse-Area Senators Split On Slowing State’s Electric School Bus Transition — “Syracuse’s state senators are split on whether to pump the brakes on New York’s law requiring school districts convert to clean fuel buses in the next decade. Passed as part of the budget in 2022, school districts are required to buy only electric (or similarly clean fuel) starting in 2027. By 2035, districts’ entire fleets need to be converted. State Senator John Mannion said: ‘I did support it because I believe in the goal of trying to get greenhouse gases out of our systems.’ ‘Part of what we were trying to do when we passed the original bill was to say, we, New York State are going to be part of incentivizing the companies to start producing these vehicles at a rate and at a cost that is manageable to our districts,’ said State Senator Rachel May. ‘It has not happened yet.’” [WSYR-TV, 5/28/24 (=)]

 

Pennsylvania

 

New Clean Energy School Buses Coming To Several Pittsburgh-Area School Districts — “Several Pittsburgh-area school districts are receiving federal funding to replace school buses known to spew pollutants and cause health impacts with greener options. In all, Bethel Park, Moon Area, Pine-Richland, Plum, South Fayette and Woodland Hills in Allegheny County, and Kiski Area in Westmoreland are among 530 districts across the country receiving nearly $900 million through the federal Clean School Bus Program. The program provides rebates to districts to replace older, diesel-fueled school buses that have been linked to asthma and other health impacts in students and surrounding communities with zero-emission vehicles. This is the third round of rebates administered through the program by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Funding comes from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, which authorized a total of $5 billion for cleaner school buses. So far, the program has awarded almost $3 billion to fund 8,500 school bus replacements for more than 1,000 schools nationwide. This round is expected to help districts purchase more than 3,400 clean school buses, 92% of which will be electric. Other buses purchased through the program could run on propane.” [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 5/29/24 (+)]

 

Funds For Clean School Buses Coming To Hundreds Of Districts, White House Says  — “As part of its ongoing effort to replace diesel-fueled school buses, the Biden administration on Wednesday said it will provide approximately 530 school districts across nearly all states with almost $1 billion to help them purchase clean school buses. The initiative, part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program rebate competition, will give funds to school districts in 47 states and the District of Columbia to help them buy over 3,400 clean school buses. Alaska, Hawaii and Nevada are not part of this round of funding. In Pennsylvania, 21 districts are slated to receive a total of $55.7 million in funding from the program, with Reading ($8.98 million); and Philadelphia ($8.96 million) school districts topping the list. Woodland Hills ($7.3 million), Plum Borough ($5 million), and Erie City ($4.1 million) school districts round out the top five (see chart below for the full list from Pennsylvania). Nearly all of the clean school buses purchased will be electric, at 92%, according to the administration.” [Pennsylvania Capital-Star, 5/29/24 (+)]

 

Rhode Island

 

Funds For Clean School Buses Coming To Hundreds Of Districts, White House Says  — “As part of its ongoing effort to replace diesel-fueled school buses, the Biden administration on Wednesday said it will provide approximately 530 school districts across nearly all states with almost $1 billion to help them purchase clean school buses. The initiative, part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program rebate competition, will give funds to school districts in 47 states and the District of Columbia to help them buy over 3,400 clean school buses. Alaska, Hawaii and Nevada are not part of this round of funding. In Rhode Island, PVD Prep, a middle school in Providence, along with schools in Jamestown, Pawtucket, Lincoln and Westerly are slated to receive funding. Nearly all of the clean school buses purchased will be electric, at 92%, according to the administration. ‘This announcement is not just about clean school buses, it’s about the bigger picture,’ EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said during a call with reporters on Tuesday, prior to the announcement. ‘We are improving air quality for our children, reducing greenhouse gas pollution and expanding our nation’s leadership in developing the clean vehicles of the future.’” [Rhode Island Current, 5/29/24 (+)]

 

Washington

 

Funds For Clean School Buses Coming To Hundreds Of Districts, White House Says — “As part of its ongoing effort to replace diesel-fueled school buses, the Biden administration on Wednesday said it will provide approximately 530 school districts across nearly all states with almost $1 billion to help them purchase clean school buses. The initiative, part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program rebate competition, will give funds to school districts in 47 states and the District of Columbia to help them buy over 3,400 clean school buses. Alaska, Hawaii and Nevada are not part of this round of funding. Washington state is in line to receive about $24.3 million spread across 16 districts. … Washington school districts are in line for about $24 million of $1 billion the federal government announced on May 29, 2024, for school buses powered by natural gas, propane, or batteries.” [Washington State Standard, 5/29/24 (=)]

 

 

 

Huge Health And Climate Benefits Of Replacing Old Diesel School Buses With Electric In The United States Newsguard 100/100 Score — “In a recent study published in PNAS, researchers assess the health and climate benefits of replacing old diesel school buses with electric buses in the United States. The environmental impact of diesel buses The transportation sector is the most significant contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and subsequent air pollution in the U.S. According to recent estimations, vehicle emissions are associated with around 20,000 deaths every year in the U.S., with 90% of these deaths caused by exposure to ambient fine particulate matter of 2.5 microns (PM2.5). In the U.S., about 500,000 school buses serve about 24 million students. A significant proportion of these buses are model year (MY) 2005 diesel vehicles, which are estimated to emit 12 times more PM2.5 for every mile driven than model year 2010 diesel school buses. Electric vehicles are considered a promising alternative to diesel vehicles in terms of reducing transportation’s health and environmental impacts globally. According to one 2023 estimate, 2,277 electric school buses are currently in circulation in the U.S., which account for only 0.5% of the nationwide school bus fleet.” [Saltwire, 5/28/24 (=)]

 

 

 

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