The US Environmental Protection Agency selected 67 applicants to receive nearly $1 billion through EPA’s first Clean School Bus Program Grants Competition. The awards will help selectees purchase more than 2,700 clean school buses in 280 school districts serving more than 7 million students across 37 states.

Areas receiving the awards.

With today’s announcement, EPA’s Clean School Bus Program has awarded nearly $2 billion and funded approximately 5,000 electric and low-emission school buses nationwide.

In April 2023, EPA announced the availability of at least $400 million for its 2023 Clean School Bus Grants through a Notice of Funding Opportunity. The grant application period closed in August 2023 with an outstanding response from applicants seeking to purchase electric and low-emission school buses.

Given the overwhelming demand and large number of high-scoring applications, including applicants in low-income communities, EPA has nearly doubled the amount of funding that will be awarded this round to approximately $965 million.

These awards follow more ethan $875 million obligated to new buses from the Clean School Bus Program’s 2022 Rebates, which funded the replacement of 2,366 buses at 372 school districts.

After a review process, the EPA Clean School Bus Program selected the Notice of Funding Opportunity’s top-tier applicants to receive this investment in their community. Funds are slated to support the purchase of approximately 2,700 buses, 95% of which will be electric.

Prioritized school districts in low-income, rural, and/or Tribal communities make up approximately 86% of the projects selected for funding. Grantees will work with their EPA Regional Project Officers to finalize project plans and purchase their awarded new buses and eligible infrastructure. EPA is also partnering with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation to provide grantees with technical assistance to ensure effective implementation.

EPA’s $5 billion Clean School Bus Program, created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, includes both a grant program where selected applicants are awarded funds to purchase buses, and a rebate program that allows selectees to receive awards before purchasing eligible buses that replace existing school buses with clean and zero-emission models. The new Clean School Bus grants are the second round of selections announced for the newly created program. EPA will make more funds available for clean school buses in additional rounds of funding.

EPA is currently accepting applications for the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program until 31 January 2024. EPA encourages applicants not selected for the 2023 Clean School Bus Grant Program—and those that did not apply—to participate in current and future funding rounds. Once the application period for the 2023 rebate program closes and the school districts selected are notified, school districts can proceed with purchasing new buses and eligible infrastructure.

Selectees will need to submit Payment Request Forms with purchase orders demonstrating they have ordered new buses and eligible infrastructure. After the selectees submit the proper forms, they will be eligible to receive rebate funds. All selectees must submit a Utility Partnership Agreement to verify that the school district’s electric utility provider is aware of the school district’s rebate application.