California is spending $500 million to put another 1,000 electric school buses on the roads to freeze more polluted, aging diesel fuel fleets to freeze federal cuts and efforts in other frozen states.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Office announced Wednesday that 1,000 zero-emission school buses and associated charging infrastructure will be provided to more than 130 rural, low-income and disadvantaged school districts. The state grant will add approximately 500 charging stations for school buses to more than 200 stations already in operation in the district.
This expansion is in contrast to other states’ efforts hampered by uncertainty about federal funds. For months, more than 500 districts across the country have been waiting for about $1 billion from the Environmental Protection Agency, covering more than 3,400 electric buses, causing panic and confusion. Some districts have delayed or canceled purchases.
California has the largest fleet of electric school buses in the country after pumping over $1.3 billion into such efforts and funding more than 2,300 buses. Of these, 1,100 are already in use, with some districts 100% electric.
“California is committed to continuing efforts to reduce children’s exposure to toxic diesel pollution through the deployment of zero-emission school buses,” said Leanne Randolph, chairman of the California Air Resources Committee, in an email.
The board will lead state efforts on climate change and oversee air pollution prevention efforts.
“School funding is especially important as we are working on rollbacks of federal support,” Randolph said.
In California, efforts are funded primarily by revenue from its cap-and-trade programs. The programme requires that carbon emissions be reduced and obtain permission for each ton of carbon released by polluters.
Bass is key to California’s climate goals to reach carbon neutrality by 2045. By 2035, almost all new public school buses will be needed to reach zero emissions.
California, a US trendsetter on climate policy, has long approved policies to limit emissions from cars, lawn mowers, trucks and trains. However, some of these measures face threats.
A new executive order from President Donald Trump says his Justice Department will go to court against state climate change laws aimed at reducing greenhouse gas pollution that warms the planet from fossil fuels.
Newsom denounced Trump of “backing the clock” of climate-friendly policies, saying his state’s efforts to reduce pollution would not go off track.
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