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Bill to help New Jersey transition to electric school buses advances

TRENTON – The New Jersey Senate Education Committee advanced legislation sponsored by Senator Patrick Diegnan that would authorize school districts to enter into extended contracts and lease terms for electric school buses, in addition to permitting the New Jersey School Boards Association to serve as a government aggregator.

The bill, S3263, represents a continuation of state efforts to enable the transition towards electric school buses. In 2022, the Governor signed P.L. 2022, c.86 to establish the “Electric School Bus Program”. That legislation, also sponsored by Senator Diegnan, provided for $45 million over three years in grant funding to support the purchase of electric school buses and necessary charging infrastructure.

“School buses are a safer and more environmentally friendly way to get kids to school, reducing traffic, total vehicle emissions, and providing more safety in the event of an accident,” said Senator Diegnan (D-Middlesex). “Although less harmful than the use of personal vehicles, currently utilized diesel buses continue to create harmful emissions. Electric school buses, though, completely eliminate that toxic exhaust, protecting our children’s health and setting an example of sustainability for our future generations.”

Current law allows districts to enter into a contract for the lease of electric school buses and associated infrastructure for a period of 10 years. Under the bill, this provision would be altered to instead allow districts to enter into a contract for electric school buses as well as related charging equipment and services for a period not to exceed the service life of the electric school bus.

“This legislative effort would give New Jersey schools the flexibility they need to enable their transition towards electric school buses, a goal that is held back by financial constraints, a lack of familiarity with the technology, and because many districts do not own their own buses and instead rely upon contracted services,” added Senator Diegnan. “In essence, this bill would extend the benefits of electric buses to more districts and more children than previous programs have thus far accomplished.”

The legislation would additionally permit the New Jersey School Boards Association to serve as a government aggregator, effectively allowing it to procure electric school buses and necessary infrastructure on behalf of its members. In doing so, the School Boards Association can aggregate demand and obtain more favorable contract terms at a lower cost, while enabling districts that would otherwise be unable to afford or implement such a transition the ability to do so.

The bill was advanced in a 3-2 vote.

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EPA sending $12 Million in Rebates for Clean School Buses Across NJ

From the Environmental Protection Agency

Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the selections to receive rebates under the 2023 Clean School Bus Program rebate competition, including rebates to benefits kids in New Jersey.

Eleven school districts in New Jersey will benefit from a total of over $12 million in rebates that will provide almost 70 clean school buses. The program will help New Jersey accelerate the transition to zero emission vehicles and to replace older, diesel school buses, which have been linked to asthma and other conditions that harm the health of students and surrounding communities.

In September 2023, the EPA announced the availability of at least $500 million for its 2023 Clean School Bus rebates. The rebate application period closed in February 2024 with an outstanding response from school districts across the country seeking to purchase electric and clean school buses. Given the overwhelming demand, including in low-income communities, Tribal nations and U.S. territories, EPA doubled the amount of available funding to nearly $1 billion.

This third round of funding will build on the previous almost $2 billion investment via the 2022 Rebates and 2023 Grants to further improve air quality in and around schools, reduce greenhouse gas pollution fueling the climate crisis, and help accelerate America’s leadership in developing the clean vehicles of the future.

The selections announced today will provide funds to school districts in 47 states and Washington D.C., along with several federally recognized Tribes and U.S. territories. Prioritized school districts in low-income, rural, and Tribal communities make up approximately 45 percent of the selected projects and will receive approximately 67 percent of the total funding. The program delivers on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution.

The EPA is also partnering with the Joint Office of Energy and Department of Transportation to provide school districts with robust technical assistance to ensure effective implementation.

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Make school buses electric, advocates urge

By Tom Johnson NJ Spotlight

As the state moves to electrify its transportation sector, one significant segment remains largely left out — the more than 15,000 buses transporting kids to and from New Jersey schools each day.

Few students, if any, make that trip on electric school buses, though some communities have taken steps to phase out diesel-fueled buses and switch to zero-emission vehicles now in use in 33 other states. Only 1,439 electric school buses are now in use, less than 1% of all school buses on the road now.

Clean-energy advocates, however, are pushing to change that dynamic, urging state officials to step up funding and incentives to get students out of buses that expose them and surrounding communities to unhealthy pollutants caused by the combustion of diesel engines.

At a day-long webinar, sponsored by the Electrification Coalition and World Resources Institute, various speakers made a case for widespread deployment of electric school buses in New Jersey.

Besides improving public health and accelerating the decarbonization of the transportation sector, that step could reduce operating expenses for school districts, lead to cleaner air and create new jobs, according to Justin Balik of WRI.

The biggest hurdle to converting diesel buses to zero-emission vehicles is the higher upfront cost of the latter. Electric school buses can cost upward of $300,000, triple the cost of the more conventional diesel bus, said James Woods of First Student, a company that is one of the largest providers of transportation in North America.

“The key barriers are financial — first and foremost,’’ agreed Peg Hanna, assistant director of the Division of Air Quality in the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Still, First Student said it hopes to convert 20,000 buses to electric by 2030, Woods said. Other electric-bus suppliers were also bullish about prospects for converting the nation’s fleet of nearly 500,000 school buses to electric buses.

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EPA Awards $500,000 to Clean Up 25 School Buses in New Jersey

This environmental news update reports on the first DERA funds offered for alt-fuel and electric buses

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded some $10.5 million to replace 473 older diesel school buses nationwide. The funds are going to 137 school bus fleets in 40 states, each of which will receive rebates through EPA’s Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) funding. The new buses will reduce pollutants that are linked to asthma and lung damage, better-protecting health and air quality in communities across the country. In New Jersey, EPA is providing $500,000 to five entities to replace 25 buses across the state.

“The rebates provide children with a safe and healthy way to get to school by upgrading older diesel engines in our nation’s school buses,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Through the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act, EPA is equipping local school districts with cleaner-running buses, helping them along the route to healthier kids and communities.”

The 2020 Rebates are the first year in which EPA is offering additional funds for alt-fuel and electric bus replacements. Applicants scrapping and replacing diesel buses with engine model years 2006 and older will receive rebates between $20,000 and $65,000 per bus, depending on the fuel type of the replacement bus.

The funding selectees in New Jersey are:

Berlin Township Board of Education – $20,000 to replace one bus
First Student in Berlin – $200,000 to replace 10 buses
Irvin Raphael, Inc., in East Brunswick – $40,000 to replace two buses
Toms River Regional Schools – $40,000 to replace two buses
Yellow Bus Leasing.com LLC in Bellmawr – $200,000 to replace 10 buses

EPA has implemented standards to make newer diesel engines more than 90 percent cleaner, but many older diesel school buses are still operating. These older diesel engines emit large amounts of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, which are linked to instances of aggravated asthma, and other health effects or illnesses that can lead to missed days of work or school.

Since 2008, the DERA program has funded more than 1,300 projects across the country, reducing diesel emissions in more than 70,000 engines. A comprehensive list of the 2020 DERA School Bus Rebate recipients can be found at www.epa.gov/dera/awarded-dera-rebates.

For more information about the DERA program, visit www.epa.gov/dera

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Today, your kids ride to school on diesel buses. But that may be changing

*Electric fueling station for school buses in North Carolina. AP*

Diesel school buses and electric school buses are hard to tell apart. One way is to look at what kind of ‘fuel’ pump is plugged into them. The other is to measure the type and amount of pollution that comes out of the tailpipe. The environmental benefits of switching to electricity are well established. The cost is another matter, and that’s what has Republicans in the New Jersey legislature fighting tooth and nail against a mandatory changeover. Brent Johnson of NJ.com details how the debate went last Thursday in the Assembly. — Editor

By Brent Johnson, nj.com

A proposal for New Jersey to further explore using electric school buses — which supporters say would benefit both the environment and children’s health — passed the state Assembly this past week despite strong objections from Republicans over cost and other issues.

The bill (A1282) would require the state Department of Environmental Protection to develop a three-year pilot program for as many as 18 school districts in the Garden State to buy battery-powered buses and charging equipment. The state would appropriate $45 million — $15 million a year — to fund the program.

The Democratic-controlled Assembly passed the Democratic-sponsored measure, 47-31, largely along party lines, at the Statehouse in Trenton on Thursday.

Related news stories:
Electric school bus bill sparks debate during N.J. Assembly session (AC Press)
Electric school bus bill sparks debate during N.J. Assembly session (New Jersey Monitor)
SEPTA adds 22 rookie electric buses to its lineup (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Diesel buses stink. Are electric buses the solution for NJ? (nj.com)
Make school buses electric, advocates urge (NJ Spotlight)
Electric school buses are expensive but these 2 ideas could make getting them easier (NJ.com)

Supporters say the goal is to test how reliable and cost-effective it is to transition away from diesel-powered school buses.

Environmentalists have long warned that diesel buses spew pollution into the air and put students at greater risk for respiratory problems and other health issues. They say it’s especially an issue in urban areas where the air is already heavily polluted.

“We’re all talking about the future of our children, the future of generations to come,” said Assemblyman Sterley Stanley, D-Middlesex, a main sponsor.

But the bill sparked a fierce, nearly half-hour debate on the floor of the Assembly on Thursday.

Freshman Assemblywoman Vicky Flynn, R-Monmouth, argued the state should instead spend more money on responding to students’ learning loss and mental health issues in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I thought by the fourth month of being here with you that we would have had bill after bill after bill making sure that we’re funding the learning loss, the mental health needs of our students,” said Flynn, a former school board member in both Nutley and Holmdel. “And today I’m looking at a bill to fund over $15 million for electric buses.”

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Electric school bus bill rolling in NJ Senate

TRENTON – The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee advanced legislation sponsored by Senators Patrick Diegnan and Linda Greenstein that would require the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to develop and implement a three-year electric school bus pilot program.

“On a typical school day in New Jersey, more than 800,000 students ride to school on one of the state’s 15,000 diesel school buses,” said Senator Diegnan (D-Middlesex). “As a state, we have goals to significantly lower our carbon emissions and become a greener place to live. Transitioning from the conventional diesel-fueled buses to those with zero emissions will significantly decrease our state’s pollution levels.”

Make school buses electric, advocates urge
EPA Awards $500,000 to Clean Up 25 School Buses in New Jersey

Under the bill, S759, the DEP would select at least six school districts or bus contractors each year to participate in the program. At least half of the school districts or school bus contractors are annually selected and half of the grant funding would be located in low-income, urban, or environmental justice communities.

The bill would make $15 million available to the DEP each year for three years to provide grants to the participating school districts to go towards the purchase or lease of electric school buses, the acquisition, and installation of charging infrastructure, and training for bus maintenance personnel, bus drivers, and inspectors. The committee adopted amendments that would align with the Assembly’s version of the bill.

“On average, children who ride in a diesel-powered school bus are exposed to 4-12 times the level of toxic exhaust than riding in a car,” said Senator Greenstein (D-Mercer / Middlesex). “School buses are known to emit greenhouse gases and carcinogens, both of which contribute to climate change and threaten exposed individuals with elevated lifetime risks of developing cancer, asthma, and heart disease. By implementing this program, we can offer students a healthier and more environmentally friendly way to get to and from school each day.”

The bill was released from the committee by a vote of 8-4.

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NJ advocates say ditching diesel for electric school will pay off in the long run

Clean-energy supporters say electric buses could supply power back to the grid when not transporting kids

By TOM JOHNSON, NJ Spotlight

As the state tries to electrify its transportation sector, one focus has been on electric school buses. But there hasn’t been much success largely because of the larger upfront costs of purchasing electric vehicles instead of diesel buses.

Clean-energy advocates contend, however, that school districts could offset those costs by having electric vehicles supply power, stored in the vehicles’ batteries, back to the regional electricity grid when they are not transporting students to and from school.

Related environmental news stories;
Maryland school buses going electric (video)
A lesson in electric school buses (Washington Post)
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Navigating the Rise of Utility Interest in Electric School Buses

If so, that could speed up the rollout of electric school buses in New Jersey, according to environmental groups who are urging school districts to stop purchasing diesel buses and transition to all-electric buses by 2030 in a new report.

“While electric buses can save and even earn money for schools over the lifespan of the bus, the initial price tag often presents a hurdle for cash-strapped districts,’’ said Hayley Berliner, a clean-energy associate for Environment New Jersey’s Research. & Policy Center.

The report, by Environment New Jersey and the New Jersey Public Interest Research Group’s Law and Policy Center, suggests school districts could recover those upfront costs and more, by using idle school buses to send stored energy back to the grid at times of peak demand, and get paid for that. Those times occur typically when buses are finished delivering students home in late afternoon and early evening.

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PennDOT worker’s Facebook rant that she’d ‘gladly smash into a school bus’ isn’t protected under Constitution, high court rules

A PennDOT worker’s Facebook post saying she would ‘gladly smash into a school bus’ got her fired, until Commonwealth Court reinstated her. This week, the state Supreme Court said her speech was not protected by the First Amendment, clearing the way for her termination.

By PETER HALL The Morning Call

A PennDOT worker’s Facebook rant about smashing into careless school bus drivers is not protected by the First Amendment, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled.

The rant cost Rachel L. Carr her job in 2016 after other members of the Facebook group where she made the posts sent screenshots to PennDOT. Carr appealed to the State Civil Service Commission, which upheld her termination.

A Commonwealth Court decision reinstated Carr after finding that her comments were protected speech, but the Supreme Court on Tuesday disagreed and upheld Carr’s firing.

The justices found Carr’s rant held little public importance and interfered with PennDOT’s mission of public safety, two of the factors courts must consider in determining whether a public employee’s speech is protected.

Under a 1968 U.S. Supreme Court decision, public employees can be fired for comments on issues of public interest only when their employer can show a negative result is likely.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court established additional factors to determine whether speech is protected, including whether the remarks prevent the agency from carrying out its responsibilities; prevent the employee from carrying out his or her own responsibilities; interfere with working relationships; and how, when and where the remarks are made.

“While there is no present dispute whether Carr’s comments touched on a matter of public concern, they were essentially a rant based on her personal observation of a particular bus driver rather than an explanation of safety concerns that she became aware of as a department employee,” Justice Sallie Updyke Mundy wrote.

According to the opinion, Carr posted in the “Creeps and Peeps” Facebook group May 24, 2016, that she was frustrated with school bus drivers in the Erie area, calling them “horrible” and “hella scary.” She said school buses ran her off the road daily and one asked her “to t-bone it.”

“I don’t give a s— about those little babies and I will gladly smash into a school bus,” Carr wrote. When other members of the group suggested she should care more about the safety of children, Carr doubled down, saying she would put her safety before that of schoolchildren, the opinion says.

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Feds to retrofit diesel school bus engines in 5 NJ districts

Tom Johnson reports for NJ Spotlight:

Five school districts in New Jersey have been awarded grants totaling $810,000 to replace or retrofit older diesel bus engines under a program from the federal government.

The awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are part of $7.7 million given to 88 school bus fleets in 27 states under its diesel-emissions reduction program.

The eight-year-old program is designed to reduce pollution linked to health problems caused by soot, or fine particulates, emitted by dirty buses that are associated with such health problems as asthma and lung damage.

In New Jersey, the school bus fleets receiving the grants are Orange, $145,000; Lakewood, $200,000; North Brunswick, $85,000; Toms River, $180,000; and Wall Township, $200,00.

“Thanks to funding, we are protecting our children from breathing diesel emissions as they travel to school,’’ said Christopher Grundler, director of EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality.

“Nearly 17,000 of our country’s schools are located within steps of a heavily traveled road, exposing more than six million children to traffic-related pollution at a time when developing lungs are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of pollution.’’

The federal agency has implemented standards to make newer diesel engines more than 90 percent cleaner, but many older diesel school buses are still operating. These older diesel engines emit large amounts of pollutants such as nitrogen oxide and particulate matter, both persistent pollutants in New Jersey.

Since 2008, the federal program has funded more than 700 clean-diesel projects across the country, involving more than 70,000 engines.

New Jersey has its own diesel-engine retrofit program run by the state Department of Environmental Protection, which addresses older diesel engines on school buses and garbage trucks. Since 2008, more than 7,400 school buses have been retrofitted, according to the DEP.

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Meet a prime sponsor of New Jersey’s new electric bus pilot program

Assemblyman Sterley Stanley represents New Jersey’s 18th legislative district.

By Frank Brill, EnviroPolitics Editor

Up to 18 school districts or bus contractors around New Jersey will soon start using electric school buses and charging stations, thanks to a bill Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law on August 4 that sets aside $15 million annually for three years for the efforts.

The state Assembly passed A1274 in May, 47-31, and the state Senate passed it on June, 23-15, with two not voting. Some Republican lawmakers called the bill too expensive and a distraction from students’ pandemic-related educational and mental health needs.

The state Department of Environmental Protection will oversee the pilot program, half of which will serve students in low-income or urban communities, or those disproportionately affected by environmental impacts.

The DEP will choose the districts and contractors from among applicants from north, central and southern New Jersey, with contractors making up no more than half of the grant recipients.

“In order to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions and optimally capitalize on the benefits of vehicle electrification, we must electrify not just the cars that bring us to work, but the buses that safely deliver our children to school,” said Governor Murphy. “Some of the most important vehicles traversing our state’s roads and bridges are the buses connecting our children and families to our nation-leading public school system. It is our responsibility as elected officials to ensure that those vehicles do not adversely affect the health outcomes of our students as they grow, learn, and prepare to lead New Jersey toward a more sustainable future themselves.”

Through the Electric School Bus Program, the state Department of Environmental Protection will issue $15 million in grants in Year One and up to $15 million in Years Two and Three for a total of up to $45 million over the course of the three-year program. Grants will be awarded to at least six school districts or bus contractors annually. In each year, at least half of the school districts or school bus contractors selected by the DEP – and at least half of the grant funding awarded by the DEP in each year – will be allocated to a low-income, urban, or environmental justice community in order to mitigate the disproportionate health impacts of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles on vulnerable populations.

Funding for the program can come from the Clean Energy Fund, the Global Warming Solutions Fund (Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative proceeds), monies available from utility programs to upgrade electrical infrastructure for vehicle charging, appropriations, or any other available funding. For Year One, the program’s budget comes from the General Fund.

Democratic sponsors of the bill in the Assembly, Sterley Stanley (Middlesex), Shama Haider (Bergen), and Britnee Timberlake (Essex) said in a statement, “The diesel exhaust from buses negatively impacts our overall health and is a major contributor to climate change.” They said the program will let the state explore the best approaches for electrifying bus fleets in the future.

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Assemblyman Sterley Stanley represents New Jersey’s 18th legislative district.

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