Sen. Warren hopes New Bedford, Fall River sway more communities on electric school buses.

As government officials continue helping school districts all over the country convert their bus fleets to electric or low-emission models, the SouthCoast is home to two of four Massachusetts districts to score funding in the latest Clean Bus Grant Program cycle.

Massachusetts is set to get a total of $34 million, $14 million of which is to be split between the New Bedford, Fall River and Worcester public school districts, Senator Elizabeth Warren recently announced. The remaining $20 million goes to Boston Public Schools.

While Warren was not sure how the $14 million would be split between the three smaller districts, she said funding to New Bedford and Fall River would be enough for each district to buy 10 electric buses, respectively.

"Fall River and New Bedford put in strong proposals," Warren told The Standard-Times. "They are a reminder that nothing succeeds like success."

Building up the fleets

For both SouthCoast districts, the recently announced funds add to those already awarded toward electrifying bus fleets. In fiscal year 2022, New Bedford got $5,530,000 to fund 14 buses and related infrastructure like a charging station, and Fall River got $3,895,000 for 11 buses and infrastructure. Those funds were awarded through an EPA rebate program.

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New Bedford Public Schools Transportation Supervisor Jeffrey Tatro shared that New Bedford's new total of 24 electric buses — being purchased through New England-based vendor DeVivo Bus Sales — aren't quite ready to hit the streets just yet. First, the city needs a specialized bus yard that can also serve as a charging station, which it will get, Tatro said, thanks to grant money from MACDC (Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations).

"We anticipate groundbreaking in spring and to be ready to go next school year," Tatro said. "I think this is a great opportunity for the city to get ahead of what's probably coming, to be at the forefront and really help out the air quality and students' health here in the city so I'm looking forward to it."

Fall River Public Schools officials did not respond to request for comment in time for publishing.

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“This grant advances the City’s efforts to decarbonize its operations, as set forth in our climate action plan, NB Resilient,” Mayor Jon Mitchell said. “I’m grateful for the EPA’s and our Congressional delegation’s support of our efforts to make New Bedford more sustainable.”

According to the official NB Resilient website, data from 2019 shows that transportation — mostly cars and trucks — is the second biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the New Bedford, behind only heating/cooling systems of buildings.

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Stated goals of the NB Resilient plan include reducing community-wide greenhouse gas emissions to 35% below 2017 levels by 2030, "toward a path of net zero emissions by 2050."

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On the federal side, the Clean School Bus Program is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, which looks to give out a total of $5 billion for low- and zero-emission school buses throughout the U.S.

"The ultimate goal is that all school busses nationwide will be electric by 2030," Warren said. "The Biden Administration has taken the first big step in making that happen and when towns like New Bedford and Fall River step up and show how well it works, that brings more towns in and encourages more people in Washington to put more funding into getting those electric school buses everywhere."

Electric buses will lead to health, savings, Warren says

In July, Warren — who sponsored the BUILD GREEN Infrastructure and Jobs Act which the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill is modeled after — sought to peak interest in the Clean Bus Program throughout the state by sending a letter to the Massachusetts Municipal Association, Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents and 33 Commonwealth municipalities, advocating for participation, according to Warren's office.

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When it comes to why Warren is advocating for electric school buses, the senator says there are health and economic benefits to be had.

"These 20 new school buses will mean fewer kids have asthma attacks and ultimately fewer people in our communities will be exposed to cancer-causing fumes," Warren said, referring to New Bedford's and Fall River's latest grant wins.

While she said improving health is her primary motive, Warren also pointed to cheaper maintenance costs for electric buses, fuel savings, and the prospect of lower costs of the buses themselves once they become more commonplace.

According to Tatro, IC Bus will be the manufacturer of the buses supplied relative to the grant monies given to Massachusetts districts.

An online calculator tool from Navistar — parent company of IC Bus — estimates that annual maintenance costs of an electric bus would be $4,420 vs. $23,159 for a comparable diesel model with the same use details.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: New Bedford, Fall River 2 of 4 MA districts to win electric bus funds