New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on March 5 announced funding is now available for electric school bus charging infrastructure under the state’s $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act and through the New York School Bus Incentive Program.
Support is available to help make installing Level 2 or Direct Current Fast Charging chargers and associated electrical upgrades more affordable for public school districts and the bus operators that contract with them, Hochul’s office said.
Administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the program is now accepting applications from public school districts and school bus operators. Funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis, and the level of funding provided is based on the number of buses a school district or bus operator has purchased or is currently purchasing.
Amounts start at $25,000 per bus to cover hardware, customer-side electrical site upgrades, installation costs, and battery storage. Districts designated as priority districts can receive an additional $10,000 per bus.
Priority districts are defined as high-need school districts by the New York State Education Department or those that serve disadvantaged communities as defined by the New York State Climate Justice Working Group.
As part of the process, applicants can receive up to an additional $30,000 per bus if they choose the option to complete a Fleet Electrification Plan which provides a comprehensive evaluation of existing fleet operations, analysis of current site electrical capabilities, and will serve as an action plan for electrifying the applicant’s entire fleet by 2035.
Applicants must have purchased their electric school bus or buses after January 1, 2023, to be eligible for charging funds.
Additionally, bus purchases must be funded through the district, a bus operator’s own resources, through New York School Bus Incentive Program, or through New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program or the Environmental Protection Agency Clean School Bus Program.
Other utility programs and federal incentives to help reduce the cost of electric buses and infrastructure include the Medium and Heavy Duty Make Ready Pilot and the Inflation Reduction Act 45W and 30C tax credits.
Complete eligibility criteria and rules for this charging infrastructure funding can be found here.
Planning and Technical Assistance
Under the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, $5 million of the initial $100 million in funding for zero-emission buses is set aside to provide schools with technical assistance.
Priority districts can have up to 100 percent of the cost of these plans covered while other school districts can have up to 75 percent of the cost covered.
Planning resources such as the Electric School Bus Roadmap and the Electric School Bus Guidebook are also available to help explain costs, funding mechanisms, and policy options as well as factors and decisions that school districts and bus operators face when considering clean bus options.
Bond Act Funding for Electric Buses
A total of $500 million is earmarked in the Bond Act for zero-emission school bus and infrastructure grants and today's announcement is part of the initial $100 million made available in November.
To date, the grant opportunity attracted 20 applications for 97 buses totaling $22 million and school bus manufacturers and bus dealers can continue to apply on a rolling basis. NYSBIP eligibility guidelines were open for public comment through September 1, 2023, and published on September 28, 2023, following robust Bond Act public engagement processes.
