The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to grant $135 million to California school districts and state and local governments to help them switch to battery electric vehicles.
The move follows Gov. Gavin Newsom’s August announcement of $500 million in state aid to put 1,000 electric school buses on the road in California. Last year, the governor mandated that all new school buses sold starting in 2035 must be zero-emission vehicles.
The EPA money will go to 13 government agencies, including the Los Angeles Unified School District, Oxnard School District and Oakland Unified School District. Recipients must use the money to replace aging fossil-fuel vehicles, which will have to be scrapped.
The EPA said it will work with recipients to finalize the awards in early 2025.
If the awards go through in time, the Los Angeles district will receive about $20 million to replace 50 fossil-fuel school buses.
The Oxnard School District would receive $4.5 million to replace 15 fossil-fuel buses. The Oakland district, $15.1 million to replace 60 buses. The South Coast Air Quality Management District has been awarded $25 million in grants for 74 school buses.
Each recipient will receive differing levels of grant money for electric vehicle charging infrastructure and workforce training, and receive different percentages of assistance with vehicle purchases, and as a result the per-bus costs for each will differ.
Money is also headed to:
* The city of Santa Monica, to replace four fossil-fuel street sweepers with electric models.
* The city of Oakland to replace three street sweepers and a garbage truck.
* The city of Pico Rivera, for a bucket truck, a vacuum truck and a dump truck.
* The city of Pasadena, for 17 electric trucks, with charging infrastructure.
* The Bakersfield-area Golden Empire Transit District, for five buses.
* The South Coast air district, $34 million for 126 trucks.
* The California Department of Transportation, $2 million for 11 trucks.
Manufacturers of vehicles and charging infrastructure will be chosen through competitive bidding.
Meantime, the state awaits a decision from the EPA on whether a necessary federal waiver will be granted to allow California to mandate sales of zero-emission cars and trucks.
