By james art EPA Administrator Michael Regan celebrated a $15 million grant through the bipartisan Infrastructure Act funding 38 electric school buses for Durham, North Carolina, reducing emissions and benefiting student health.
Serena Golden | October 31, 2024
| Clean Energy Generation, Clean Transportation, North Carolina
Last Thursday, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan boarded an electric school bus in his home state of North Carolina. The bus would be silent except for the hum of a diesel engine if it weren’t for the eager questions of students from Durham’s Southern School of Energy and Sustainability.
Regan was in Durham for a ribbon-cutting ceremony with community leaders and elected officials, including SACE Senior Electric Transportation Program Manager Dori Larsen, to celebrate funding for 38 new electric school buses coming to Durham Public Schools. The $15 million grant comes from the EPA Clean School Bus Programwhich uses bipartisan Infrastructure Act (BIL) funding to replace existing school buses with zero-emission school buses.
The students wanted to know the EPA’s real motivations for investing in clean school buses. Was it a profitable move in the clean energy market? Legal requirement? Or maybe Reagan, a member of the Biden-Harris administration, is investing in cleaner air for the next generation.
“We’re investing in you,” Reagan said during a press conference after the electric school bus ride.
Regan, a North Carolina native, wasn’t the only public official with a personal connection to Thursday’s event. U.S. Rep. Valerie Fouchey (NC-04) once drove a school bus before climbing several levels of local government in Chapel Hill to the U.S. Congress.
“As a former school bus driver myself, I am grateful for this significant federal investment that goes beyond bus upgrades and prioritizes the health of our children, our community and future generations,” Foushy said in a statement to SACE.
Energy and the environment play a role key roles during Fushi’s time in government. Fouchey voted in support of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act as a State Senator for North Carolina’s 23rd District in 2021 and is a supporter of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
For Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams, a former teacher and school administrator, the clean school bus program means being able to breathe easy.
“This new fleet of electric buses means even more to me as I struggled with asthma as a child and dealt with the smoke and fumes that can trigger an attack,” Williams said. “Investments like these go a long way toward ensuring future generations have all the tools they need to thrive in the classroom and beyond.”
Electric school buses emit zero tailpipe pollution, meaning students and drivers are not at risk of exposure to particulate matter and nitrogen oxide from their school buses. These pollutants can contribute to respiratory disease, heart disease, cancer and other health problems. They have even been proven to reduce emissions from a school bus correlate with improved school performance.
“This federal investment in clean transportation will significantly reduce harmful emissions and air pollutants,” said Congresswoman Fouchey.
Fleet electrification also helps states reduce their overall contribution to carbon emissions, generating fewer greenhouse gas emissions and investing in a cleaner environment for students to grow up in.
Jackson Keith, a student at the Southern School of Energy and Sustainability, said he is grateful to be a part of the clean school bus program.
“It was good to see people in power giving back to the community,” Keith said. “It’s great to see people in the news who care about the environment and are taking steps to improve climate change with electric buses.”
Alexa Izquierdo, who introduced Administrator Regan as the event’s student speaker, said she has always been passionate about making changes to address climate change.
“I’m glad Durham is taking the initiative to step forward to make a difference with climate change, because a lot of people want to make changes but aren’t taking the steps,” Izquierdo said.
Investing in clean energy generation
These students are an example of Generating clean energya movement that connects people of all ages and backgrounds with the common goal of tackling the climate crisis. With investments like the Clean School Bus Program, electric school buses and clean air could eventually be the new normal for generations to come.
“Last week’s announcement with EPA Administrator Michael Regan is a great reminder that the Biden-Harris administration is making key investments in our youth and our environment,” said Mayor Williams.
There is currently a new round of funding available with Clean School Bus Rebate Program, which school districts can apply for until January 9, 2025, 4:00 PM ET. Watch this clip from our webinar with Maggie Dolan of EPA Region 4 on EPA’s Clean School Bus Program for more information and resources to help you apply for your own electric school bus fleet.
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