EPA Opens the 2024 Clean School Bus Rebate Program
by Leah Brams, Market Development Manager
On Thursday, September 26, 2024, the EPA officially announced Round 4 of the $5 billion Clean School Bus (CSB) Program.
How Has the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program Evolved?
The EPA continues to refine the Clean School Bus Program. In Round 1, rebate funding was awarded through a lottery process. Round 2 saw the Agency award grants via a highly competitive application process. In Round 3, EPA shifted back to a rebate lottery, which they replicated closely in this newest Round 4 of funding though there are a few differences:
- The maximum incentive levels per bus are lower (up to $325k per electric school bus for priority districts and
$170k for non-priority districts). - EPA has increased the maximum number of buses in an application to 50.
If I Applied for Previous EPA Funds, Should I Still Apply?
Yes! If you applied for a previous round of EPA funding, EPA has explicitly stated that you are welcome to apply again, regardless of prior success. EPA has signaled that per bus funding levels will continue to decline going forward, so this is the largest amount of funding that will be available for these buses.
What Do I Need in Order to Apply?
Allow adequate time. This application will require details about your current school bus fleet, supporting documents and details about your proposed plan. It will be challenging to gather this information at the last minute, so we suggest starting early.
For a Successful Round 4 Application, You Will Need the Following:
I. SAM.gov working login
Check that your SAM.gov login credentials are active and ready for use. If you need help registering for SAM.gov, please refer to this guide.
II. Fleet Information
You will need to provide VINs, vehicle descriptions, titles, and other details for each bus you plan to replace.
III. Supporting Documents
All applicants are required to submit one or more of the following supporting documents. This documentation is intended to ensure successful deployment. Required documents include:
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- A School Board Awareness Certification to verify the school board’s awareness of the district’s rebate application
- A signed School District Approval Certification from third-party applicants, like Highland, to verify the district’s approval of the third party’s rebate application
- A Utility Partnership Agreement to verify that the district’s electric utility provider is aware of the school district’s rebate application.
Each of these forms must be signed by an authorized representative as they serve as verification of communication between applicants and the necessary parties for the successful deployment of new zero emission clean school buses.
What if I Need Help With Vehicle Scrapping?
If you apply for ESBs and don’t have a 2010 or older model to scrap, Highland can help you. Districts have up to two years to demonstrate that one 2010-or-older diesel bus has been scrapped. Scrapped diesel buses have to meet certain operating criteria but they do not have to come from your district as long as you plan to replace them with an electric school bus.
How Can Highland Help?
Our mission is to make electric vehicles affordable and accessible for all communities. We’ve helped school districts secure approximately $350 million in grants & incentives, including supporting hundreds of districts with applications to the EPA Clean School Bus program. The Highland team is actively implementing electrification projects for awarded districts around the country. We are happy to share our expertise with you and we can even file applications on your behalf. Our dedicated team of incentive program experts are happy to help answer your questions, whether you choose to work with Highland or not.
Please email us at epa@highlandfleets.com to learn
more about how Highland can support you with EPA Round 4, and check out our EPA Round 4 Overview.
