Press Mention CBS News Atlanta November 4, 2022
SACE Quoted
New electric school buses added to Clayton County fleet
In this mention
Clayton County Public Schools received EPA funding for 25 electric school buses as part of a $5 billion national investment in clean school transportation. Cary Ritzler, Georgia Organizer for Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, advocated for expanded EV transition funding and utility investment to support electric bus adoption across more Georgia school districts.
Full transcript
New electric school buses added to Clayton County fleet
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. (WUPA) -- Students in Clayton County Public Schools will have clean-air buses to ride in after the school system was awarded funding for electric buses.
Riding on a school bus brought back memories for community leaders and clean air advocates. They took a victory tour around Clayton County International Park in an electric bus, celebrating EPA funding that's bringing more than 120 clean buses to 14 school districts in Georgia, including Atlanta Public Schools. CCPS will receive 25 electric buses.
"This was made possible because of last year's infrastructure law made possible by President Joe Biden," said Allie Brown, the political director for Georgia Conservation Voters.
This is a five-year, $5 billion investment made months after advocates urged school systems to apply for the rebates.
"These electric buses will be an initial investment in our goal to doing our part in reducing our carbon footprint and lowering the emissions that are accelerating our climate change," said CCPS Director of Operations Kemith Thompson.
"This is the first of the best to come, and we plan on doing better and greater things in Clayton County," said CCPS Director of Transportation Denise Hall.
Their priority is the health and safety of their students.
"When you live in a county that has a high senior population and over 50,000 students, electric buses, zero emissions, we're headed in the right direction," said Clayton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Jeffrey Turner.
Cary Ritzler, a parent and the Georgia Organizer for Southern Alliance for Clean Energy said she hopes the buses roll into Athens-Clarke County for her kids.
"One of my kids has asthma, and as I'm hearing all these facts about hearing all of these facts about breathing the air on a diesel bus, I would love to have them on an electric bus," she said.
This is just the first round of funding, and advocates say there is still a lot of work to do.
"Georgia also needs to build on this success by setting aside more funding and providing for more investment from utilities in the EV transition to support things like this," said Ritzler.
For more information on electric school buses, click here: https://www.momscleanairforce.org/resources/electric-school-buses/