For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Jackie.Greger@sierraclub.org
EPA Awards $12M in Rebates to NJ School Districts to Fund Electric School Buses
Trenton, NJ - Yesterday, the EPA announced the winners of the Clean School Bus Program 2023 Rebates. The EPA is awarding nearly $900 million for 3,400 new school buses to approximately 530 school districts from most states, as well as D.C. and several Tribes and territories. The following 11 school districts in New Jersey have been awarded a total of 12 million dollars in rebates to fund 69 electric school buses: These grants are funded under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which allocated a total of $5 billion dollars for the purchase of zero emission and low emission school buses.
- Beverly City School District (1 bus)
- Brick Township School District (25 buses)
- Burlington County Special Services School District (10 buses)
- Clifton Public School District (3 buses)
- Denville Township K-8 School District (2 buses)
- Haddonfield School District (4 buses)
- Jackson Township School District (5 buses)
- Readington Township School District (1 bus)
- South Hunterdon Regional School District (4 buses)
- Summit Public School District (4 buses)
- Toms River School District (10 buses)
NJ Sierra Club Director, Anjuli Ramos-Busot, made the following statement:
“We’re excited to congratulate the 11 school districts for receiving $12 million in rebates to bring electric school buses to New Jersey. This is in addition to a grant of $19 million announced in February. Our children deserve to breathe clean air, and for too long diesel exhaust pollution has put their health at risk for heart disease, respiratory illnesses, and even cancer. This funding is an investment in our students’ health, and will save school districts money in the long term too, since electric school buses have fewer parts and don’t need to be fueled by costly diesel. We’re looking forward to securing even more zero-emission rides to school to protect all students in New Jersey, and reinvest in our public schools.
Between state and federal grants, New Jersey school districts and private school bus contractors have received $78 million in grants to purchase 243 buses. Currently 21 buses are operating with the remainder in various stages of procurement.
In addition, the application period for a new state competitive grant program to fund zero emission buses closed in mid May. The DEP received 17 applications for funding under this program which was established by the legislature and signed by Governor Murphy.
The Sierra Club encourages all school districts to sign up with the state DEP Stop The Soot and the EPA Clean School Bus Program websites to learn about new funding opportunities as they are announced.”
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About the Sierra Club: The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information about our work in New Jersey, visit www.sierraclub.org/new-jersey.