BOSTON - The Healey-Driscoll Administration is celebrating the award of $42 million from the U.S. EPA’s Clean School Bus program to 17 Massachusetts school districts. The program enables school districts to replace fossil-fueled school buses with cleaner electric models, helping communities reduce climate pollution and the resulting health risks for children. 

In addition to strong advocacy from the Massachusetts federal delegation, with leadership from Senator Elizabeth Warren, the awards reflect the Healey-Driscoll administration’s aggressive strategy to pursue federal funding. The Clean School Buses program was the subject of the inaugural Federal Funds Partnership Meeting, a new initiative of the Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office (FFIO) to convene hundreds of municipal and tribal leaders across the state to share information about federal funding opportunities. During the meeting, FFIO highlighted the Clean School Buses program and encouraged municipalities to apply. 

Massachusetts has also supported municipal school bus fleet conversions through the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC). MassCEC has helped municipalities across the state, including several selected for awards in this funding cycle, through grant assistance and technical assistance via the Fleet Advisory Program, the Fleet Deployment Program, the ACTNow Program, as well as guidance through ACT School Bus Open Office Hours. 

The Massachusetts awardees include urban and rural communities, Gateway Cities, and vocational schools. The municipalities include many census tracts with environmental justice populations, highlighting the Healey Driscoll and the Biden administration’s focus on advancing climate and equity initiatives.

The funding will be used to replace 166 fossil fuel-powered school buses with electric vehicles.

“Every Massachusetts student deserves to breathe clean air, but diesel school buses are a major source of air pollution and can be harmful to young people’s health,” said Governor Healey. “We’re thrilled to see so many Massachusetts communities win federal funding to make the switch to cleaner electric school buses. We’re grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration for making this funding available and to Senator Warren and our Congressional delegation for their partnership and leadership.”

“This is just the latest example of how Team Massachusetts is competing hard to bring home federal dollars to our communities,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “From improving our roads and bridges, to increasing accessibility on public transit, to transitioning to cleaner, healthier school buses – the Biden-Harris administration is making available transformative levels of federal funding, and we’re proud that Massachusetts is winning so much of it.”

“These new electric school buses from the Biden administration are bright yellow symbols of how Massachusetts is fighting climate change,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren. “I wrote a bill to invest in cleaner transit options and fought for federal funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and now these electric school buses will help Massachusetts students breathe cleaner air.”

“From the cities of Witches, Fish, and Paper to the shores of Cape Cod, the Southcoast and Fitchburg, the Biden administration's new investments in more than 160 clean school buses will deliver a cleaner, greener future for Massachusetts children, on and off the bus.” said Senator Ed Markey. “We fought hard to include this funding in the historic Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. I thank the Healey-Driscoll administration for their leadership in putting it to work for the Commonwealth, and I thank the EPA for driving us all towards a future with cleaner air.”

“This funding from the EPA ensures that thousands of students in Massachusetts will soon be able to get to and from school on clean, electric-powered buses that don’t pollute the air they breathe,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “It’s time that we move away from gas-powered school buses and this investment from the Biden-Harris Administration will empower 17 school districts to make that switch.”

“These municipalities are the leading edge of a Massachusetts clean energy transformation to reduce emissions and improve public health,” said Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer. “Time is short. The Healey-Driscoll administration is laser-focused on working with municipalities to accelerate the adoption of clean vehicles to protect our communities from climate pollution.” 

“This funding is a critical step forward in our efforts to improve air quality for our children and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure Quentin Palfrey. “We are grateful to the Biden Administration and Commissioner Regan for these awards that will help Massachusetts continue its leadership on the transition to a clean energy future.” 

“This is another major clean energy win for Massachusetts, and it’s one that will benefit students and neighborhoods for years to come,” said Massachusetts Clean Energy Center CEO Dr. Emily Reichert. “MassCEC’s clean transportation program has supported two-thirds of the electric school buses in Massachusetts, and these funds from the Biden-Harris Administration will bring the Commonwealth one step closer to electrifying school bus fleets in all of our communities.” 

The Clean Schools Bus program was created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021. The most recent funding represents the third round of $5 billion that the EPA will disburse over a five-year period. 

Massachusetts school district awardees include:

Acton-Boxborough - $200,000

Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter - $290,000

Amherst - $600,000

Andover - $5,000,000

Arlington - $200,000

Beverly - $1,455,000

Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical District – $3,490,000

Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School District - $1,380,000

Fall River - $3,450,000

Fitchburg - $6,210,000

Gloucester - $1,200,000

Hingham - $600,000

Holyoke - $7,245,000

Ipswich - $5,000,000

Marblehead - $200,000

Newburyport - $3,000,000

Salem - $2,600,000

For more information on these grant awards click here.