UNION COUNTY, NJ — In celebration of National Drive Electric Week, Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette, on Wednesday, Oct. 2, announced the first-round award of $15 million in grants for local purchases of 48 electric school buses in New Jersey, marking the state’s first comprehensive commitment of funding for these zero-emission buses that will better protect the health of schoolchildren and communities. National Drive Electric Week is a weeklong outreach event to raise awareness and educate the public on the availability and benefits of all-electric and hybrid vehicles.
“It is our responsibility as elected officials to ensure that the vehicles carrying our children to school do not adversely affect their health outcomes as they grow. That’s why my administration has dedicated $30 million to date to ensuring that those vehicles are powered by clean energy,” said Gov. Phil Murphy. “These grants are a testament to my administration’s continued commitment to environmental justice, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, vehicle electrification, and the protection of families from harmful pollution.”
The Administration’s Electric School Bus Grant Program is administered by the Department of Environmental Protection and is funded through the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities’ Clean Energy Fund. It was authorized by legislation Murphy signed in 2022 to provide as much as $45 million in funding through three years to replace diesel school buses with battery-electric school buses. The program also funds the installation of charging infrastructure.
Diesel exhaust contains multiple pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide and fine particulate matter, as well as compounds, such as formaldehyde, that are classified as toxic. Fine particulate matter in diesel exhaust can be especially harmful. Smaller than 1 micron in diameter, these particulates can penetrate deep into the lungs, leading to decreased lung function, increased asthma severity and increased risk of lung cancer. Children, whose lungs are still developing, breathe at faster rates than adults, making them more susceptible to these health risks.
Through the years, the DEP has assisted school districts with retrofitting and/or upgrading diesel-powered school buses to better protect students. The DEP succeeded in having more than 7,000 school buses retrofitted with upgraded cabin ventilation systems that prevent diesel fumes from entering the buses each time the door opened. Electric school buses represent the next generation of protection by eliminating all emissions from buses.
As the state’s first comprehensive effort to help school districts and operators make the switch to electric school buses, the Electric School Bus Grant program will ultimately lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions that fuel global warming and worsen the impacts of climate change.
Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the state, making up 37 percent of all emissions. Of the 21,700 school buses registered in New Jersey, more than 99 percent run on fossil fuels. While providing vital transportation services, these buses negatively impact the health of students and residents of the communities in which they operate.
Electric School Bus Grant Recipients
Grant recipients are distributed across the northern, central and southern regions of the state, including 13 in overburdened communities. There are nine direct awards to schools and school districts and five awards to bus contractors serving New Jersey schools, including, in Union county: Berkeley Heights has been awarded up to $580,000 for two school buses and two fast charging stations; Summit Public Schools has been awarded up to $1.28 million for four school buses and four fast charging stations; and United Academy of Union has been awarded up to $2.5 million for eight school buses, three level two charging stations and five fast charging stations through their contractor Kehilas Union.
This program was developed in direct response to fleet concerns regarding knowledge gaps about zero-emission vehicles, evaluating charging needs, securing incentives, and engagement with utilities, manufacturers, and permitting authorities. By working directly with fleets, the program seeks to spur zero-emission vehicle adoption and achieve the state’s climate and health goals.