DENVER — Nine Colorado school districts will receive clean school buses through the Clean School Bus Program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced.
The program funds electric buses, producing zero tailpipe emissions, and propane and compressed natural gas buses. The EPA said Colorado will receive funding for 49 of these clean school buses through the program's grant competition.
The buses are provided by Highland Electric, a transportation company. Highland will receive more than $12 million to purchase the 49 buses for Colorado, as well as six school buses for Utah.
The Colorado school districts that will welcome the new clean buses include:
- Adams 12 Five Star Schools (four clean school buses)
- Boulder Prep Charter High School (two clean school buses)
- Community Leadership Academy (nine clean school buses)
- Denver Public Schools (20 clean school buses)
- Poudre School District R-1 (two clean school buses)
- Steamboat Springs School District-RE2 (three clean school buses)
- Summit School District RE-1 (four clean school buses)
- Thompson School District R-2j (three clean school buses)
- West Grand School District No. 1 (two clean school buses)
In total, this announcement included 67 recipients who were awarded funds to purchase 2,737 clean school buses to replace older vehicles. These buses will serve 280 school districts and benefit more than 7 million students in 37 states.
The EPA said air pollution from older diesel engines is linked to asthma and other conditions that can harm students. Phasing them out ensures cleaner air for not only the students and drivers, but the communities they live in.
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As of 2023, more than 90% of school buses use diesel, which, as a known carcinogen, is linked to serious health problems and can affect cognitive development, contributing to issues like asthma, the World Resources Institute reported.
The Clean School Bus Program was adopted under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provided $5 billion of funding to retire older buses and welcome in new, clean ones.
This marked the second round of selections. The first round closed in August 2023. The EPA is currently accepting applications for the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program until Jan. 31, 2024. To learn more about this process, click here and send questions to cleanschoolbus@epa.gov.
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School districts that are low-income and rural, and Tribal communities, are prioritized.
EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said this change will help secure a healthier future.
"I’ve sat next to students on their very first clean school bus ride and their excitement reflects the power of good policy," Regan said. "Thanks to President Biden’s historic investments in America, thousands more school buses will hit the road in school districts across the country, saving school districts money and improving air quality at the same time."
