Webinar + Resources: Clean School Bus Program for Districts and Utilities
The Clean School Bus program in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides for an unprecedented level of funding to update our school bus fleets. Half of the $5 billion over five years is to be used for the addition of electric buses while the remaining $2.5 billion can be used for electric, compressed natural gas, and propane buses. Effective and efficient implementation of electric buses to a fleet requires close coordination between a school district and their local utility.
On July 7, 2022, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and the Region 4 office of the EPA facilitated a dialog on clean, efficient school bus fleets. Speakers discussed how to work together to successfully add electric school buses to a fleet. Utilities also talked about practical considerations for adding charging stations and recharging considerations.
Presenters
- Dale Aspy, Environmental Engineer, Environmental Protection Agency
- Westy Westmoreland, Director-
Electrification, Dominion Energy South Carolina - Dory Larsen, Electric Transportation Program Manager, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Moderator
Webinar Resources
Clean School Bus Program Resources
- EPA’s Clean School Bus program landing page
- EPA’s Clean School Bus program flyer
- Information about the rebate program currently offered
- Up to 25 school buses per application, one application per school district
- $500 million in available funding
- Prioritized School Districts: School districts that have a higher funding opportunity for the buses and charging infrastructure.
- All eligible applicants’ information
- Application portal
- Power Planner for Electric School Bus Deployment from WRI
- Electric School Bus U.S. Market Study and Buyer’s Guide from WRI
Application/Timeline Recap
- Now: Register as an organization for SAM.gov account
- Now – August 2022: Talk to utility and community partners
- August 19: Deadline to apply for the EPA’s Clean School Bus rebate program
- October 2022: EPA conducts lottery and notifies winners
- October 2022 – April 2023: Winner orders buses, works with utility
- October 2022-April 2023: Selectees submit Payment Request Forms with purchase orders demonstrating that new buses and eligible infrastructure have been ordered.
- Before October 2024:Winner submits close-out form
If you have any questions about the program or the resources, feel free to reach out directly to Dory Larsen at dory@cleanenergy.org.
To connect with a Clean School Bus contact in your region, please email:
Powell.Alan@epa.gov, Aspy.