School Bus Transition Grants

The Washington State Department of Ecology offers grants within the Clean Diesel program to transition school bus fleets away from fossil fuels. The primary recipients are owners of school buses that transport K-12 students to public, tribal, and charter schools for the replacement of diesel school buses with zero emission school buses, including associated charging and fueling infrastructure. Grant awards may be up to 100% of the incremental cost of a zero emission school bus and up to $50,000 per bus for the cost of charging or fueling infrastructure. Applicants may receive grants for up to 10 buses per funding round. Increased funding (115% of the incremental cost and $75,000 per bus for charging or fueling infrastructure) is available for schools located in a small or rural local education agency or for schools in which 50%–94% of students are eligible for free or reduced price lunch program and there is no cap on the number of buses that may be requested. For schools that are rural or where over 95% of students are eligible for free or reduced price lunch, funding may be available for the full cost of up to three zero emission school buses per funding round and $75,000 per bus for charging or fueling infrastructure. The zero emission school bus grant defines zero emission bus as a vehicle that has a drivetrain that produces, under any possible operational mode or condition, zero exhaust emissions of any criteria air pollutant (or precursor thereof).

In addition to school buses, in some years there are grants available for other diesel vehicles (e.g., yard trucks, diesel marine engines). For more information, see the Department of Ecology Clean Diesel Grants website.

(Reference Revised Code of Washington 70A.15.4200)