The Environmental Protection Agency has introduced a $1 billion grant program to replace gasoline- and diesel-powered school buses and other heavy vehicles with electric vehicles.
The Clean Heavy Vehicle Subsidy Program provides generous grants to fund the introduction and sale of eligible Class 6 and 7 zero-emission vehicles, according to an EPA news release. The grant will also fund large EV charging stations and workforce development and training.
The Inflation Control Act that funded this program would allocate at least $400 million to disadvantaged communities that are disproportionately affected by air pollution, as defined by EPA's National Air Quality Standards. It is mandatory.
“The Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to electrify the largest fleets of vehicles, including school buses, transit buses, garbage trucks, and semi-trucks, will continue to impact the lives of children, school bus drivers, truck drivers, and those closest to them. It will make a tangible difference to the communities where we live, including our busy roads and highways,” said Katherine Garcia, director of the Sierra Club's Clean Transportation for All Campaign, in a press release.
The EPA reports that the transportation sector is the largest source of direct global warming pollution, with diesel-powered medium- and heavy-duty trucks contributing significantly. They release dangerous pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, ground-level ozone, and particulate matter.
The agency explained that exposure to diesel exhaust can cause asthma and other respiratory illnesses and worsen lung and cardiovascular disease, especially in children, the elderly, people with pre-existing conditions and people with low incomes. .
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Replacing polluting school buses and large trucks with electric vehicles improves overall community health, reduces noise and air pollution, and provides job opportunities in clean energy industries.
EPA has divided the grant program into two separate competitions.
• School Bus Subprogram for school bus replacement applicants (receives 70% of funding).
• Vocational Vehicle Subprogram for applicants to replace Class 6 and 7 vehicles other than school buses (box trucks, garbage trucks, trash trucks, etc.). waste collection truckstreet sweepers, delivery trucks, bucket trucks, utility trucks (receive 30% of subsidy)
Eligible parties can apply for the Clean Heavy Vehicle Grant Program until July 25th. EPA plans to announce award winners by the end of 2024.
“President Biden and the entire administration are committed to ensuring that all communities breathe clean air. EPA’s Clean Heavy Vehicle Grant Program provides funding for the deployment of zero-emission vehicles and the installation of support vehicles. It will reduce climate and air pollution and strengthen the nation's infrastructure,'' EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in an EPA news release.
“This program’s historic investment in zero-emission vehicles will secure our country’s position as a world leader in clean technologies to combat the effects of climate change.”
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