WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Less than 40% of electric school buses purchased through the Biden era program have been delivered.
- About $2.7 billion has been distributed, while roughly 46,000 children could miss out on new buses this year.
- The EPA says around 1,100 buses arrived, 854 are delayed and 140 will never be delivered.
- The agency froze outgoing money and plans to revise the program before issuing another funding opportunity in November.
Less than 40% of the electric school buses purchased through a multibillion-dollar program from the Biden administration era have been delivered, according to statistics released Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency.
About $2.7 billion in taxpayer funding has already been distributed through the troubled initiative.
The $5 billion Clean School Bus Program was designed to divide federal money evenly between electric buses and other clean transportation options.
Those alternatives included biofuel, liquefied natural gas, compressed natural gas, hydrogen, and propane vehicles.
Gold. Upgraded. Buy real gold from $1. Store it in America. Sell it with one click.
Instead, the EPA said 90% of the money went toward electric school buses. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin accused the Biden administration of rushing taxpayer funds out the door without sufficient planning or oversight.
“Instead of following Congress’ directives to effectively provide safe and reliable transportation for American school kids, the Biden-Harris administration rushed money out the door without enough thought or oversight,” Zeldin said in a statement.
Zeldin added that the spending produced remarkably few tangible results.
“In essence, American taxpayer dollars vanished into thin air, and our children were left without school buses.”
This Could Be the Most Important Video Gun Owners Watch All Year
Of the 2,600 buses and related charging infrastructure ordered under the program, only 60 buses were powered by propane, according to the EPA.
The agency said almost all of those propane buses have been delivered to their intended school districts.
The EPA’s count showed that around 1,100 buses have been delivered, while 854 are behind schedule.
Another 140 buses will never be delivered, according to figures the agency provided to The Post.
Kamala Harris: “I’m excited about electric school buses. I LOVE electric school buses. I just love them! For so many reasons. Maybe because I went to school on a school bus. Hey, raise your hand if you went to school on a school bus!” pic.twitter.com/SyzHT5JeiT
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 12, 2023
The agency estimates that about 46,000 children will not ride new school buses this year because of delays and failures by several electric bus manufacturers.
About 33% of participating school districts have withdrawn from the program, citing issues that include delays, cost overruns and safety concerns.
The price tag has also raised alarms.
The EPA calculated that buses purchased through the program cost an average of more than $1 million each, while new diesel and propane buses generally cost less than $200,000 and electric school buses typically sell for about $300,000 to $400,000.
Delivered electric buses have faced mechanical problems, recalls, lower driving ranges than advertised, and height issues that prevented some from passing beneath certain overpasses.
New York’s Gouverneur Central School District spent about $1 million to electrify two of its 28 buses, with the state covering most of that expense.
“It’s scary when the potential benefit doesn’t feel much better than a potential negative,” district business manager Dale Munn told the New York Times.
At least one manufacturer, Lion Electric, went bankrupt in 2024 after receiving $160 million in taxpayer money.
Highland Electric, which promotes receiving more than $150 million from the program, faced what the EPA described as “significant management issues.”
According to the agency, those problems included “not having contracts with school districts” and “not having proper oversight of the money.”
A Highland Electric spokesperson said the company and its partners have delivered “almost 500 electric school buses,” with about 300 additional buses being manufactured for delivery in coming months.
The representative said Highland Electric is “in compliance with program rules” and “communicates daily with the EPA regarding our Clean School Bus projects.”
CEO and founder Duncan McIntyre said the company remains focused on “giving American children a healthier way to get to school.”
First Student received $401 million from the program but is “behind schedule on 2/3 of the electric school buses they were supposed to deliver” to 37 districts, according to the EPA.
Kevin Matthews, the company’s head of electrification, said First Student remains “committed to deploying all the electric school buses awarded to us through EPA’s Clean School Bus Program.”
Matthews said the company expects to have more than 1,000 electric school buses operating by the end of the school year and is nearing 12 million electric miles driven.
He said that progress demonstrates First Student’s investment in electrification and cleaner transportation options.
The EPA has frozen outgoing program money while reviewing feedback from manufacturers, fleet operators, school officials and energy producers.
A new Notice of Funding Opportunity is planned for November, with the agency appearing ready to examine biofuel, compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas and hydrogen buses more closely.
Zeldin has promised sweeping changes before the remaining congressionally approved funding is distributed.
He said the EPA reviewed the program closely and intends to implement it in a manner that maximizes benefits for children, taxpayers and the environment.
Gold is the oldest answer. SoundMoney makes owning it as easy as the apps you already use.
The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of LifeZette. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.
Read the full article here
