Moulton celebrates $19.8 million in Rebates for Zero-Carbon School Buses
SALEM, MA – Congressman Seth Moulton is proud to announce that North Shore communities will receive almost $20 million in rebates as part of the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program. This funding will enable the towns of Ipswich, Newburyport, Salem, Beverly, Gloucester, Marblehead, as well as Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School District, to purchase new electric and zero-carbon school buses.
"Taking on the climate crisis doesn't just happen at the national level — it happens locally as well. I'm thrilled the EPA is investing nearly $20 million up and down the North Shore to modernize district school buses with new electric and zero-carbon buses. This funding is vital to bringing down vehicle emissions and serves as a direct investment in the students who take the bus every day," said Congressman Seth Moulton.
The funding was made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law which provides an unprecedented $5 billion of funding to transform the nation's fleet of school buses. The investment will also help drive demand for American-made batteries and vehicles, boost domestic manufacturing, and create good-paying jobs for Americans building and operating the buses.
6th District recipients are:
-
Ipswich: Selected to receive $5,000,000 in rebates to purchase 25 clean school buses
-
Newburyport: Selected to receive $3,000,000 in rebates to purchase 15 clean school buses
-
Salem: Selected to receive $2,600,000 in rebates to purchase 13 clean school buses
-
Beverly: Selected to receive $1,455,000 in rebates to purchase eight clean school buses
-
Gloucester: Selected to receive $1,200,000 in rebates to purchase six clean school buses
-
Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School District: Selected to receive $1,380,000 to purchase four clean school buses
-
Marblehead: Selected to receive $200,000 in rebates to purchase one clean school bus
In total, 17 communities across Massachusetts will be able to purchase over 150 new electric and zero-carbon school buses as a part of its 2023 Clean School Bus Program rebate competition. The program was made by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law which provides an unprecedented $5 billion of funding to transform the nation's fleet of school buses.
“The City of Salem is thrilled to receive this funding to replace 13 of our old school buses with clean, electric school buses,” said Mayor Dominick Pangallo, who also chairs the Salem School Committee and is a member of Climate Mayors, “As a certified Green Community, we’re improving our green infrastructure and reducing emissions as called for in our climate action plan. This funding will make possible an especially meaningful step in that important work. Electric buses reduce overall vehicle emissions and improve air quality for children and others in our community, helping us meet critical sustainability and public health goals simultaneously. I’m grateful to our federal partners and the EPA for this award, and to the City and Salem Public School teams that helped secure it!”
"We have been making significant strides in our sustainability and resiliency efforts, and that is reflected in this work to update our bus fleet. I am grateful to our federal partners for allocating this meaningful funding to our community and for making this a priority,” said Mayor Greg Verga of Gloucester. “As a coastal community, it is imperative that we do our part to combat climate change and invest in sustainable and green technology, this funding will allow us to do just that. I look forward to continuing to collaborate with our City's Sustainability Coordinator and School Department to advance our school bus fleet and our City."
“We are grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration for their support of Clean School Buses, and this will have immediate benefits for Newburyport’s children and all residents,” said Newburyport Mayor Sean Reardon. “The City, state, and federal government have ambitious goals for clean energy and fossil fuel reduction, and we need transformative partnerships like these to reach them. We are thankful to Congressman Moulton and the entire Massachusetts Congressional Delegation for supporting these efforts and look forward to their continued assistance on resiliency and sustainability initiatives.”
The EPA’s Clean School Bus Program will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save money for school districts and produce cleaner air. You can learn more about the program online at www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus.