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Boston, Fall River, Holyoke, New Bedford, and Worcester Receive Grants from Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s Accelerating Clean Transporation (ACT) School Bus Program
BOSTON – Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) today announced more than $4.2 million in awards to five school districts under a second round of the ACT School Bus Fleet Deployment Program. School districts in Boston, Fall River, Holyoke, New Bedford and Worcester will be supported with funding, technical assistance, or both.
“The Healey-Driscoll Administration frequently hears from school districts that want to reduce their carbon footprints and electrify their school bus fleets,” said Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rebecca Tepper, who also serves as chair of MassCEC’s Board of Directors. “MassCEC’s ACT School Bus Program provides the funding and technical assistance these districts need to accelerate this transition and put electric buses on the road.”
“When communities electrify their school bus fleets, they make air quality safer for students and entire neighborhoods,” said Massachusetts Clean Energy Center CEO Dr. Emily Reichert. “We are excited that these funds will help public school districts in Boston, Fall River, Holyoke, New Bedford, and Worcester get closer to achieving fleet electrification. MassCEC is grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection for helping us bring these benefits to school districts across Massachusetts.”
“The ACT School Bus Program is enabling our school districts to transition to clean energy transportation, creating healthier communities and school environments where kids and families can breathe clean air,” said Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler. “I am grateful for our partners in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Department of Environmental Protection, and Massachusetts Clean Energy Center for these critical investments that will support our students today and into the future.”
This funding is made possible by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs through the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s (MassDEP) Climate Protection and Mitigation Expendable Trust. Since 2022, MassDEP has contributed nearly $28.3 million towards the ACT School Bus Program. MassCEC has also previously received $5 million in supplemental funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding and other agency resources.
Including the grants announced today, approximately $16.5 million in ACT School Bus funding has been awarded to school districts and consultants, providing technical planning services and financial support to Massachusetts public school districts. The ACT School Bus Program is informed by three school bus electrification projects under MassCEC’s program launched in 2020.
The intent of the ACT School Bus Program is to provide fleets with hands-on technical assistance during an initial planning and/or procurement that will enable school districts to continue to electrify future portions of their fleet autonomously or with scaled back assistance. As such, ACT School Bus is divided into two program opportunities to support fleets at various stages of the electrification process and with varying needs for financial and technical support: the Advisory Services Program and the Fleet Deployment Program.
MassCEC plans to release a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a third round of the ACT School Bus Fleet Deployment Program this April.
ACT School Bus Fleet Deployment Round 2 Grant Awards:
Boston Public Schools – Boston will employ ACT School Bus funding and technical assistance to complement its federal 2023 EPA Clean School Bus Grant funding and deploy additional electric buses and chargers with MassCEC funding.
Fall River Public Schools – Fall River will employ ACT School Bus funding and technical assistance to complement its federal 2023 EPA Clean School Bus Grant.
Highland Electric-Holyoke Public Schools – Highland Electric will employ ACT School Bus funding to deploy electric school buses and associated charging infrastructure for Holyoke Public Schools, using the electrification-as-a-service model.
New Bedford Public Schools – New Bedford will employ ACT School Bus technical assistance to successfully complete its federal 2023 EPA Clean School Bus Grant.
Worcester Public Schools – Worcester will employ ACT School Bus funding and technical assistance to complement its federal 2023 EPA Clean School Bus funding.