The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today will open its first round of applications for the Clean School Bus Program. The $5 billion program—established and funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)—will support school districts to replace aging school buses with clean and zero-emission school buses. Earlier this year, the BlueGreen Alliance provided input on the implementation of the program, highlighting opportunities to build up the domestic supply chain for electric school buses, invest in the incumbent workforce of school bus drivers and mechanics, and ensure that electric school bus charging infrastructure is installed to the highest standards of safety and efficiency.

Ahead of today’s rollout announcement, the BlueGreen Alliance released the following statement from Policy Advisor Reem Rayef:

“Today’s announcement marks a historic investment in improving the quality of the air that school children and communities breathe every day. By targeting this funding to rural, low-income, and tribal school districts, the EPA has reversed course on generations of planning and policy decisions that neglected communities  bearing the brunt of transportation-related air pollution. 

“We congratulate EPA on opening its first round of applications for the Clean School Bus Program and urge the agency to ensure this program benefits the workers building, driving, and servicing these school buses by supporting domestic manufacturing and a strong union workforce.”