The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and Governor JB Pritzker announced seven grant awards totaling more than $13 million for 46 new all-electric school buses in the state.

The funding allows districts and student transportation companies to retire older diesel-powered buses and provide charging infrastructure for new electric buses.

“Electric school buses are a major win for our children, our schools, and our communities,” Pritzker said. “I’m proud that the investment from the State of Illinois is helping put these vehicles on the road, get our kids an education, and keep our air clean.” 

The subsequent grants are funded by Illinois’ allocation of the multi-billion-dollar Volkswagen (VW) Settlement and will be distributed by Illinois EPA’s Driving a Cleaner Illinois Program. The grant program was developed to distribute funding for various mobile source electrification projects.

Driving a Cleaner Illinois Program Recipient

^{Source: Illinois Environmental Protection Agency}

According to a release from the governor's office, Illinois EPA has spent nearly $108 million in VW Settlement funds to date, funding 122 electric school buses and 65 direct current fast charging sites in Chicago and the Metro-East, and seven other VW priority counties, including Champaign, DeKalb, LaSalle, McLean, Peoria, Sangamon, and Winnebago counties. Plus, the program has funded 60 electric transit buses in the Chicago area.

“This funding has provided school districts and student transportation companies the ability to make a positive change to their daily operations to create a healthier environment for students and communities,” said Illinois EPA Acting Director James Jennings. “We are proud to provide the financial resources needed to replace old diesel-powered school buses with clean, all-electric transportation.” ​

Driving a Cleaner Illinois Program recipients were selected through a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process opened to school districts or commercial school bus providers in the three priority areas outlined in Illinois’ BMP for the VW Settlement. Grants ranged from $200,000 to $17,700,000.

“An investment in clean transportation represents a win-win for our communities — we are protecting the health of our children while moving Illinois toward a more sustainable future,” said Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago). “The new electric buses heading to Community Consolidated Schools District 168 in Sauk Village will mean cleaner air for our students during their daily commutes and reduced emissions in our neighborhoods.” 

In addition to the $13 million in Driving a Cleaner Illinois Program funding that was awarded, Illinois EPA will deploy available funds from the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) Program in the future. 

“Having buses that run almost every day transition to clean energy will improve the air quality for our community and young students,” said Senator Napoleon Harris III (D-Harvey). “But it also sets an example to the next generation that Illinois is leading the charge on protecting the environment they will inherit.”