On the whole, I really like the arms-wide-open, let’s-include-everyone method to issues, whether or not it’s a social gathering at my home, or a funding program for electrical college buses (ESBs). Final 12 months’s rebate program undoubtedly had that spirit; the Environmental Safety Company’s (EPA’s) Clear Faculty Bus Program awarded virtually one billion to 389 faculties and Tribes in 12 months one among its five-year, 5 billion greenback program.

EPA’s new funding spherical, although, goes deep as a substitute of huge. I really like this one too, as a result of it’s designed to assist entire fleets transition to electrical, whereas straightforward, open-arms rebates are designed to get fleets began on ESBs. We want each. My criticisms (I’m a loyal critic) are that Spherical 2 nonetheless doesn’t enable repowers (see the STN article on repowers I coauthored with Tim Farquer) and out of 120 potential factors, solely 5 are for addressing unhealthy air high quality. On the constructive aspect, the Environmental Justice part of the applying (see second chart under) has 25 potential factors, excess of any standards. That’s good!

I’ve labored in each worlds: the governmental one which evaluates grant proposals and awards massive sums of cash, and the world that applies for these funds, wins them, and implements initiatives. (Profitable is so enjoyable, however much less enjoyable if your folks don’t win too.) On this publication I’ll bottom-line EPA’s Clear Faculty Bus Program $400 million greenback 58 web page Discover of Funding Alternative, launched April twenty fourth. Even when this spherical isn’t for you, the data and hyperlinks under might profit you, as a result of electrical college buses are in all of our futures.

This text contains:

• The place to use and the place the cash will go
• What’s totally different (and the identical) on this funding spherical
• Who ought to apply this spherical, and who shouldn’t
• Who evaluates your software
• When: deadline to use is August 22, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. EST (8:59 p.m. PST)
• How the factors lie in scoring the proposals
• Bonus: data on hydrogen gasoline cell college buses (not funding associated)
• WASBE updates together with new WASBE Audio system Record (Ladies Accelerating Faculty Bus Electrification)

I’m Alison Wiley right here in Oregon, an ESB, fairness, and inclusion geek. I’ve labored in low-carbon transportation since 2006, specializing in electrical buses since 2016. My newsletters (housed right here) make the complicated matter of ESBs extra accessible and comprehensible to all kinds of readers. This article is a member of the nationwide, equity-focused Alliance For Electrical Faculty Buses, however doesn’t converse for the Alliance, nor for the World Sources Institute’s Electrical Faculty Bus Initiative, which partially funds this article.

The place do you apply? At grants.gov, and sam.gov, similar because the final spherical. Examine now to verify your account is present. It may possibly take two weeks or extra to create a brand new account.

The place will the cash land? See map under:

Graphic of regional EPA funding image, map is from the EPA web site, funding graphic created by Li Mattson

Completely different From 2022 Rebate Spherical

• Lengthy, complicated software
• Aggressive; scored with factors
• Third events can apply immediately for funds*
• Min.25 buses max.100 for third events
• Min.15 buses max. 50 for varsity districts
• End result to be small quantity (25-50) of enormous grants
• Tons extra eligible bills: technical help, coaching, photo voltaic panels, battery storage, and so forth.
• Winners determine how you can divide their award between bus value and charging value
• Profitable purposes could also be publicly posted (I can’t think about everybody being proud of this)

*Third events embrace contractors (i.e. First Scholar), college bus sellers, Highland, college bus producers and nonprofit scholar transportation associations. Third social gathering purposes should profit at the very least 4 college districts, and doc that the college bus fleets of their proposed initiatives wish to do the mission.

Similar As 2022 Rebate Spherical

• Precedence to low earnings, rural and Tribal faculties (2023 EPA record)
• Free assist in making use of is accessible from nonprofits, producers, Highland
• Should apply by way of sam.gov and grants.gov
• Winners obtain funds previous to spending them (this helps fairness)
• Buses eligible for substitute: 2010 and older diesels which might be totally operational
• No fleet enlargement
• Substitute buses to be scrapped (to forestall additional air pollution)

Who ought to apply and who shouldn’t?

Faculty bus fleets and third events which might be already working ESBs and are oriented towards fleet transition ought to apply. Of us which might be simply “ESB curious” shouldn’t — however ought to apply for the following rebate spherical that EPA states it would launch this fall. Rebate applications are all-comers, good for pilots, with brief, non-competitive purposes and winners usually chosen by lottery.

Who evaluates your software?

Your EPA Regional workplace, the identical workplaces which have been operating the Diesel Emissions Discount Act applications for years. However they’ll’t reply your questions; they’ll solely let you know to go the CSBP web site and to pose questions by way of e-mail to cleanschoolbus@epa.gov.

When? Deadline to use is August 22, 2023, one minute earlier than midnight Japanese (that’s 8:59 p.m. for Westerners like me).

How do the factors lie? See pie chart under. Truthfully, I believe that profitable purposes will take tons of labor. If I have been making use of I’d block out 10 hours per week and get plenty of assist, together with from my utility. I’d ask a number of organizations for letters of help, then draft these letters for them to signal, making every letter extremely particular to their perspective and their function within the mission.To satisfy the 15-page most of the Venture Narrative and prune, say, my 26-word sentences down to 10 phrases, I’d use one thing like this information to conciseness.

Pie chart of potential factors created by Li Mattson

How To Study Extra? Use EPA’s Occasions web page to join its upcoming grant webinars and to get the slides and recordings from those already accomplished (comparable to yesterday’s). See WRI’s complete ESB assets right here (particularly for varsity bus fleets), and the Alliance has posted intensive assets (particularly for advocates).

Hydrogen Gasoline Cell Faculty Buses: A Factor?

A prototype by Hyperion and Pegasus plans to enter the market in 2024 (STN). Are they a viable possibility? Right here’s what I do know:

• Zero emissions, like battery-electric
• Effectively confirmed within the public transit world
• In contrast to battery-electric, they carry out head-to-head with diesel
• 300-mile vary means they may probably work as exercise buses
• In contrast to battery-electric, require huge, expensive charging infrastructure upfront
• They gasoline about as rapidly as diesel
• Are suited to total fleet transition, however not for pilot initiatives

It’s laborious for me to ascertain HFCBs catching on within the college bus trade as a result of million-dollar plus funding wanted upfront for charging infrastructure. Few college districts appear to have that form of cash or political will. However I’d be pleased to be confirmed improper. Many because of Erik Bigelow, my former colleague at Middle for Transportation and the Setting (CTE, long-time consultants on electrical buses) for vetting this part.

Monetary help for this article is offered partly by the World Sources Institute. Whereas the World Sources Institute might have interaction as a accomplice on content material, it doesn’t management, nor does it essentially endorse, the contents of this article.

By Alison Wiley (she/her/hers)
Electrical Faculty Bus Publication

alison@electricschoolbus.org

I’m on the ancestral lands of the Multnomah, Chinook and Cowlitz peoples.
Whose land are you on?