Biden administration to kick off bipartisan law’s cleaner school bus program

The Biden administration is kicking off a program on Friday to support a shift to cleaner school buses with funding that comes from the bipartisan infrastructure law.

Vice President Harris and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan are expected to announce the opening of applications for cleaner school bus grants in Falls Church, Va.

The initial round of applications will open up $500 million in grants for the adoption of electric school buses or other low-emission buses, according to a press release. 

Overall, the bipartisan infrastructure law provided $2.5 billion for electric school buses and $2.5 billion for low-emission buses. 

Low-emission buses may run on “alternative fuels” including liquefied or compressed natural gas, hydrogen, propane or biofuels. Many of these fuels do still produce planet-warming emissions. 

The Biden administration has been promoting similar programs created by the bipartisan infrastructure law as its push for an additional spending bill, expected to be supported only by Democratic lawmakers, remains in limbo. That bill would have made significant investments in combating climate change. 

White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy told reporters Thursday that in the bus funding push, the EPA will prioritize communities that are under-resourced or overburdened by pollution. 

“This investment will make a huge difference in the lives of schoolchildren who are currently riding on dirty diesel buses. Diesel air pollution makes it difficult to breathe, it causes asthma and triggers other health problems,” she said.