California Launches Effort to Put Next 1,000 Zero-Emission School Buses on the Road

SACRAMENTO – As children across the state head back to school, California is launching a new statewide funding program that will put 1,000 new zero-emission school buses on the road, furthering the state’s efforts in having the most clean buses in the nation. This is on top of 1,100 clean school buses already on California roads, with another 1,200 in the pipeline.

The program will distribute $500 million to school districts and other educational entities to replace aging school buses with zero-emission vehicles and purchase needed infrastructure. The Zero-Emissions School Bus and Infrastructure (ZESBI) program is accepting funding applications through Sept. 30.

As California deploys zero-emission vehicles and builds the necessary infrastructure, the focus on school buses targets a sector where the switch to cleaner technology will lead to better public health outcomes for children and the communities where they live. Earlier this year, the Biden-Harris Administration announced more than $91 million to help California school districts make the switch.

The efforts are part of the Governor’s build more, faster agenda to deliver infrastructure upgrades across the state. Find projects in your community at build.ca.gov. 

The program is a collaboration between the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Energy Commission (CEC), and is administered by CALSTART, a transportation nonprofit.

Zero-emission school buses play a key role in California’s efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 and help protect children who are particularly vulnerable to the health impacts from diesel exhaust. In California, all school bus purchases made by school districts will need to be zero-emission technology by 2035, with an extension until 2040 for school districts in rural communities.

The time children spend in school bus commutes accounts for less than 10% of a child’s day, yet the commutes contribute 33% of a child’s daily exposure to some air pollutants, according to a study funded by CARB. 

To date, California has provided more than $1.3 billion in incentives to school districts which has funded more than 2,300 zero-emission school buses, of which 1,100 are already in use. Over 70% of the zero-emission buses in operation are in the state’s most pollution-burdened communities. More than 300 California school districts and local education agencies have purchased at least one zero-emission bus – and a few have made the switch to a 100% clean fleet. 

Awardees can receive up to $375,000 to replace internal combustion engine school buses with zero-emission vehicles, in addition to awards up to $95,000 per school bus to purchase and install associated charging infrastructure. Awardees will be required to scrap an old school bus for every new bus purchased.