Communities in 27 states will be able to replace their aging fossil fuel heavy duty-trucks and buses with new zero-emission electric models thanks to $735 million in federal clean energy investments under EPA’s Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program.
Tell Congress: Hold the Line on Progress to Cut Air and Climate Pollution
With 70% of the funding allocated for electric school buses, Moms across the country are celebrating this as a major win for clean air and children’s health.
The funding promises to bring economic benefits too. The grant program will support buildout of the necessary infrastructure and the training of workers deploying these clean technologies.
“Moms know that families thrive with economic stability, and cleaner air is a win for everyone’s health,” Moms’ Director of Federal Policy Melody Reis says in a statement on the grant announcement. “Our children are among those who will benefit most from reductions in tailpipe pollution. They breathe faster than adults, and their developing bodies are more vulnerable to the health harms associated with tailpipe pollution. Even better? This grant selection process prioritized projects in communities with poor air quality, meaning that cleaner air is coming to the families who need it most.”
Moms organizers in Arizona and Florida also released statements following the grant awards announcement this week. Lorna Perez, our Florida Field Organizer, says: “I’m thrilled that EPA has approved applications that could bring over $15 million in funding to school districts in Florida, helping them replace fossil fuel school buses with zero-emissions electric ones!”
Southwest Field Organizer Ylenia Aguilar shares Lorna’s excitement, saying: “The exhaust that comes out of diesel school buses doesn’t just smell bad—it’s harmful to our health. Yet so many of our children ride these buses and breathe in the tailpipe pollution day in and day out. That’s why these federal funds are so critical.”
Learn more about Moms’ work on electric school buses.
Tell Congress: Hold the Line on Progress to Cut Air and Climate Pollution