Applications are now available for $150 million allocated in the state budget to support California public school districts in their efforts to transition toward zero-emission bus technology and help pay for related infrastructure needs.

The effort is a collaboration between the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Energy Commission (CEC). Applications will be accepted through 29 September, and award recipients can receive up to $395,000 to replace older, fossil fuel-powered buses with zero-emission options, in addition to up to $100,000 per bus to purchase and install associated charging equipment.

The latest application period marks the second year of the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) Public School Bus Set-Aside program, which is an effort to replace aging buses with zero-emission technology. Last year, the project helped 81 school districts purchase more than 300 zero-emission buses.

Infrastructure is a key component of zero-emission transportation, and CARB partners with CEC’s Energy Infrastructure Incentives for Zero-Emission Commercial Vehicles Project (EnergIIZE) to provide funding for needs such as charging stations. Options include vehicle-to-grid technology capable of using the batteries on board the buses to send power back to the grid when demand is high.

Eligible applicants include:

• Public school districts.
• Public charter schools.
• Joint power authorities.
• County offices of education.

All eligible applicants must be in a small- or medium-sized air district. The program prioritizes applicants located in low-income and disadvantaged communities in small and medium air districts that have historically had limited access to funding for investments in zero-emission transportation. Award winners will be required to scrap an old school bus for every new bus purchased.