Zero Emission School Buses
As New York State transitions to Zero Emission School Buses by 2035, GRCC is dedicated to helping fleets manage and plan for this transition. To learn about the benefits of clean school buses click here!
Click on each drop down below to learn more about Zero Emission School Buses and how GRCC can help you and your fleet!
Are you a school transportation stakeholder interested in participating in a Regional Zero Emission School Bus Initiative working group? Please contact info@grcc.us for more information!
Planning Tools
The NYSERDA Electric School Bus Guidebook contains information, strategies, and resources to assist school districts, contractors, and other stakeholders as they transition school buses in the State to zero-emission operation by 2035!
The New York State Electric School Bus Roadmap provides an overview of the key challenges, costs, funding mechanisms, and policy options involved in transitioning fleets in New York to zero-emission operation.
The Electric School Bus Route Analysis Tool helps to assist school bus fleets in determining the bus power usage and charger power needs for their unique bus routes! Learn how it can work for you with this instructional video.
The Electric School Bus Charging Station Planning Form can assist school bus fleets in organizing their site information to share with their utility and charging station providers.
The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation also provides technical assistance to school districts to plan for and deploy clean school buses in their communities. Find out more about how the Joint Office can help here!
Visit the Electric School Bus Initiative website for national information and tools to help foster a successful and equitable transition to electric school buses.
Sign up for the NYSERDA Electric School Bus email list here.
Funding & Incentives
Clean School Bus Program Grants from the EPA.
Clean School Bus Program Rebates from the EPA.
As of March 2024, New York State funding is now available to support electric school bus charging infrastructure.
As of November 2023, $100 Million in Environmental Bond Act Funding is now available for Zero-Emission School Buses.
Information on NY school bus and charging vouchers can be found here.
Electric School Bus Federal Tax Credits: Federal incentives like the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) Qualified Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit (45W) and the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit (30C) can reduce the cost for a new electric school bus (ESB) as well as charging infrastructure. School districts can access these incentives through the IRA’s elective pay mechanism, which provides a new and streamlined way for tax-exempt entities to access these tax credits.
Webinar Series
NY School Bus Incentive Program (NYSBIP) Webinar Series 2024
April 9: Fleet Electrification Planning – recording available here
May 14: Combining NYSBIP with Other Funding Sources – recording available here
June 11: Charging Voucher Redemption Training – recording available here
July 9: Site Planning for ESB Charging – recording available here
August 20: Charging Rates- register here
October 1: Managing your Charging- register here
November 12: TBA
The Joint Office is partnering with the EPA Clean School Bus Program to host a technical assistance webinar series on topics relevant to the clean school bus community. Register here! Recordings of past webinars can be found here! Topics include:
June 18: Differences Between ESBs and ICE Buses, ESB Maintenance, and Bus RFP Best Practices.
July 24: Battery Overview, Recycling/End-of-Life Options, and Warranties.
August 28: Building a Case for ESBs in your Fleet including Benefits, Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), and Emissions Calculators.
September 25: Electrification Process including a Step-by-Step Guide for New Adopters.
The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation offers webinars to help states and key stakeholders build capacity for electric vehicles and plan for charging infrastructure. Information on their future webinars as well as recordings of past webinars can be found here!
Heila Technologies & School Transportation News Charging Ahead: Electric School Buses as Catalysts for Community Resilience
The Clean Cities and Communities electric school bus webinar series can be found here. It includes a basic introduction, guides on working with electric utilities, vehicle requirements, charging infrastructure, infrastructure planning and solutions, vehicle in use performance, driver and technician training, and cost factors.
Additional Materials
The EPA Clean School Bus Program page is continually updated with new funding information and educational resources.
The World Resources Institute (WRI) started the Electric School Bus Initiative which is dedicated to collaborating to equitably electrify the U.S. school bus fleet.
The New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund has an Electric School Bus Program that provides resources and information for New York State! They also created a Clean Bus Guide to help community groups in New York State start building momentum for local school bus electrification!
The Cold Weather Impacts on Electric School Buses fact sheet was created by the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation to explain how cold weather impacts electric school buses.
Massachusetts School Fleets Get Answers through Electric Bus Testing is a case study on a $2 million pilot project that allowed three school districts to purchase Type C electric school buses and Level 2 bidirectional vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging stations.
Educational materials and resources to help engage your community can be found here!
