Western North Carolina will soon have 17 more electric school buses on the roads.
As part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean School Bus Grant Program, North Carolina will receive $26.7 million in federal funds to purchase 114 electric school buses Governor Roy Cooper’s office announced.
“New funding for electric school buses means protecting the health of children from harmful diesel fumes, cutting carbon emissions, saving money on bus maintenance for tight public school budgets, and creating good jobs in North Carolina,” said Governor Cooper in a press release. “This investment is good for our students, schools, economy and planet and I appreciate the Biden Administration for investing in our communities across North Carolina.”
In western North Carolina, Cherokee Central Schools on the Qualla Boundary will receive 15 buses and Madison County Schools will receive two buses.
Across the state, almost all of the buses will be sent to school districts in low-income, rural, and/or Tribal communities. The vehicles will serve more than 300,000 students across 13 counties.
The 114 new buses are in addition to the 31 buses awarded to North Carolina schools under the Clean School Bus Program’s first round of funding in 2022. Gov. Cooper’s administration also funded 43 electric buses in 2022 through the settlement with Volkswagen.
A total of188 electric, zero-emission buses transported students North Carolina schools in the last two years, according to a press release from the Governor’s office.
Cherokee Central Schools on the Qualla Boundary was the first school in the state to have an electric school bus in 2022.
Governor Roy Cooper celebrated the bus as a step toward clean energy transportation in a meeting with tribal leaders.
“We’re excited to be a part of this and excited to be the recipient of the first electric school bus in North Carolina,” Then-Principal Chief Richard Sneed said in 2022 according to the Cherokee One Feather.
“This is a historic day in western North Carolina as we begin electric school buses for our children. We know that this is better for their health, it’s better for our environment, and it’s great for our economy. There’s no question that the buses that are made in North Carolina by North Carolina workers are going to do a lot for making sure that our clean energy economy also helps people’s pocketbooks as we fight climate change,” Cooper said according to the Cherokee One Feather.
The EPA’s Clean School Bus Program provides $5 billion over five years starting in 2022 to replace existing school buses with zero-emission and clean school buses with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The program will end in FY 2026.
