The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP) is launching a groundbreaking program that will protect school children from harmful air pollutants, particularly in overburdened communities. New Jersey’s Electric School Bus Grant Program will deliver up to $45M to fund the purchase of electric school buses and installation of charging infrastructure across the state. The new program will also fund pilot projects that use the battery on the bus to provide power to a building during off-peak hours when the bus is parked.
NJ DEP is making the first $15M round of funding available following the allocation of funds by the New Jersey Legislature last month. The program is funded through the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities’ Clean Energy Fund.
Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the state, accounting for 37% of all emissions. Of the 21,700 school buses registered in New Jersey, more than 99% run on fossil fuels.
As the state’s first comprehensive effort to help school districts and operators make the switch to electric school buses, the program will ultimately lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions that fuel global warming and worsen the impacts of climate change.
