The Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition recently played a key role in helping seven school systems in the state secure $7.8 million to purchase a fleet of new electric buses. The arrangement is part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2023 Clean School Bus Program rebate competition.
Casey Foster, fleet manager for the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition, performed a detailed analysis of every bus route in every public school system in the state last year identifying which routes were eligible under the agency’s initiative.
“We are pleased that our analysis played a key role in school systems choosing to apply for and ultimately succeed in securing these federal funds for electric school buses,” said Foster. “This is a great development for these school systems to better serve their communities with clean emission vehicles, while also updating their transportation fleet by leveraging federal dollars,” Foster said.
“We look forward to continuing to work with school systems and help them find innovative ways to meet their transportation needs through the use of alternative fuel vehicles,” Foster said. “We thank Alabama Power and the APGA for supporting this targeted and strategic approach to educating school systems about the benefits of alternative fuel buses.”
Alabama Propane Gas Association Executive Director Laurel Bunn praised one of the districts specifically for pioneering propane buses in the state when it first added them to its fleet in 2014.
“We applaud the Mobile County School System’s continued efforts to secure federal funds to move toward a 100% propane fueled fleet,” Bunn said. “With the lowest overall cost of any alternative fuel bus, this funding could provide them with additional funds they can leverage elsewhere. With 400 buses, Mobile County boasts Alabama’s largest fleet of clean burning propane fueled buses and saves over $1 million in fuel costs annually.”
“Mobile County’s propane school buses are a shining example of how propane can make a real difference for children and their communities.”
Additionally, the district is set to receive 25 more of the propane fueled buses at a cost of $875,000 after being placed on waitlist.
The seven school systems selected to receive funding for the 2023 Clean School Bus Program are:
- Clay County: 3 buses, $1.035 million
- Fort Payne City: 4 buses, $1.38 million
- Gulf Shores City: 3 buses, $600,000
- Lanett City: 5 buses, $1.745 million
- Jasper City: 2 buses, $690,000
- Montgomery County: 2 buses, $690,000
- Selma City: 5 buses, $1.725 million
According to the ACFC, Albertville City will9 buses, $3.145 million), Boaz City (2 buses, $690,000) and Conecuh County (6 buses, $2.070 million) were waitlisted for electric school buses.
If a winner does not complete the remaining required steps, drops out or is otherwise deemed ineligible, those funds will then be offered to a 2023 waitlisted candidate.
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @ShipleyAusten.
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