A total of 45 new electric school buses and charging equipment infrastructure will be distributed among five Rhode Island school districts thanks to a federal grant, the Rhode Island delegation announced Wednesday.
The buses are coming to Rhode Island as a part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was passed in 2021. The law provides funding to help school districts across the country purchase zero-emission transportation and save money on fuel and maintenance costs in the long run, according to the delegation.
The five school districts that will receive grants are: $910,000 for five buses in Jamestown; $7,630,000 for 22 buses in Pawtucket; $690,000 for two buses in Providence Preparatory Charter; $2 million for 10 buses in Lincoln; and $1,165,000 for six buses in Westerly.
The buses that are being purchased are not limited to one model or size, and school districts can purchase either electric, propane, or natural gas buses. The funding can be used for buses with charging stations, or that can be purchased with diesel buses and later converted to electric power.
“This new federal funding to replace old, diesel school buses with new, clean, electric school buses is a win for students, families, school districts, and taxpayers,” said Senator Jack Reed, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee.
The Environmental Protection Agency is administering the federal grant program, and funds are expected to be awarded to additional school districts in the coming years.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.
