Sen. Warren helped New Bedford celebrate its new electric school buses

NEW BEDFORD — Local and state officials and dignitaries, including U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren and EPA Regional Administrator David Cash, came out Friday outside of Roosevelt Middle School in celebration of New Bedford's new electric school bus fleet arriving in the city. It was also a fitting occasion to announce the next round of electric bus funding opportunities opening up.

Back in November, it was announced that New Bedford was to receive $5,530,000 to purchase 14 electric school buses in a competitive federal rebate process. Now, the EPA is set to open up another $400 million in grants for "cleaner school buses, reducing harmful pollution and helping to protecting children's health, especially in communities already overburdened with air pollution," according to a press release.

As noted by the EPA, the new 2023 grant funding is separate from the 2022 rebate program that funded New Bedford's 14 electric buses.

"You guys don’t need any persuading when it comes to the urgency of climate change," Mayor Jon Mitchell said Friday, addressing the 8th graders in attendance. "We adults are the ones who are slow to come around to it and act on it, but through the leadership of people like the woman immediately o my right [Sen. Warren] as well as Senator [Ed] Markey who couldn’t be here today and so many others, America is jumping headlong into solving the climate problem in a comprehensive way."

Mitchell also noted how the arrival of the buses were another part of "a big week for New Bedford" with the arrival of the first components that will be used to build the country's first commercial-scale offshore wind project.

More from New Bedford's big, green week: Vineyard Wind's first turbine arrived in New Bedford, signaling the start of a busy summer

"It was an historic event and it's just the start," he said.

"So the announcement today is in response to a huge need … to move this country forward into the clean energy future, to avoid further damage of climate change, to grow clean energy jobs that we’re seeing here in New Bedford," said Cash after announcing the new funding opportunities. "We are going to need folks with the expertise to maintain these kind of vehicles, although I’ll say they’ll need maintenance less than a fossil fuel vehicle does, and the savings that come from that can be plowed back into our schools, can be plowed back into curriculum, plowed back into kids.

Cash also addressed the higher price point on electric buses.

"The whole point of this is to prime the pump. Let's get companies building more of these, getting communities using them and the price will come down just like it did for solar, just like it did for wind...," Cash said.

"I know the frustration, that it feels like we’re just not progressing," Warren said. "But here’s the good news, we actually have strong partnerships and we are beginning to make the wheels turn in the right direction ... and every single time we get it to move in the right direction we need to celebrate because that’s what increases the chances we can move it further and faster tomorrow and the next day and the next day."

Gear up for the long weekend!: Parades, remembrances: Memorial Day events planned in Greater New Bedford

"On a daily basis we are seeing our kids with asthma, our kids with illnesses that are caused by environmental pollution, who are having to take time out of school, who are being sent home from school because they’re not well enough to be there and be productive learners," said Dr. Amelia Monteiro, a pediatrician at the Greater New Bedford Community Health Center, "and this is affecting their progress toward things like 8th grade graduation and wonderful other events that we want them to be able to attend as they grow and thrive. So I’m really thrilled to hear that we’re taking these measures…."

"Across the commonwealth, Massachusetts has won nearly $30 million to begin electrifying our school bus fleet … so that we can be doing more learning and less fossil fuel burning," said State Director for U.S. Senator Ed Markey, Jim Cantwell, reading a statement on Markey's behalf. "Air pollution from diesel engines is 4-10 times dirtier inside the school bus than outside. A bus ride to school should be filled with laughter, not with pollution."

"In my role as superintendent and also [Roosevelt Middle School Principal] Mr. [Dan] Bossolt and all our other administrators throughout the city, the biggest thing is how are we going to continue to educate our students so that way you understand what your role is … to help protect the environment," said Superintendent of New Bedford Public Schools Thomas Anderson. "New Bedford is a great place, this is a great opportunity...."

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: New Bedford celebrates new electric school buses with Sen. Warren