By Mia McCormick, Environment Florida
Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the school districts selected to receive the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebates. The Biden administration decided to disburse nearly $1 billion from the historic Clean School Bus Program to school districts across the United States. This is the third round of funding for electric school buses under the federal program, which helps replace diesel buses that spew pollution with mostly zero-tailpipe-emission, electric school buses.
Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, Jefferson and Miami-Dade school districts were all selected to receive the rebates. They join Dixie, Glade and Lafayette counties who received rebate funding back in 2022.
This will bring the total number of electric buses expected to roll out across the state through the Clean School Bus grant and rebate program to 263. These districts can now move forward with purchasing replacement buses and charging infrastructure. The new busses are expected to hit the streets before May 2026. Four counties were waitlisted and may receive funding in the future.
This latest round of funding will help school districts replace 3,400 diesel buses across the country. The majority of school buses in the U.S. still run on diesel, a fossil fuel that increases global warming emissions and has been linked to serious health risks, including increased rates of respiratory illness and cancer. The risks are especially pronounced in children and have also been linked to poor academic performance.
Each electric school bus can save school districts nearly $2,000 a year in fuel costs and $4,400 a year in reduced maintenance costs. The Clean School Bus Program was initiated from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021.
Mia McCormick is an advocate with Environment Florida, a policy and action group with one mission: to build a healthier, greener Sunshine State.
If you are interested in submitting an opinion piece to The Invading Sea, email Editor Nathan Crabbe at ncrabbe@fau.edu. Sign up for The Invading Sea newsletter by visiting here.
