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$500M in federal funds available for Arizona and tribal schools to buy zero-emission school buses

Vice President Kamala Harris tours Thomas Built Buses, Monday, April 19, 2021, in High Point, N.C. Harris is joined by EPA Administrator Michael Regan, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Leslie Kilgore Vice President of Engineering, Rep. David Price, D-NC.
AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
Vice President Kamala Harris tours Thomas Built Buses, Monday, April 19, 2021, in High Point, N.C. Harris is joined by EPA Administrator Michael Regan, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Leslie Kilgore Vice President of Engineering, Rep. David Price, D-NC.

Half-a-billion dollars in federal funds will be made available to Arizona school districts to buy zero-emission school buses.

The money comes from last year’s sweeping Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and allows schools, including tribal school districts in the state, to apply for clean buses over the next five years.

The goal is to phase out the state’s fleet of diesel-powered buses and curb harmful emissions.

Supporters say it’ll also expand economic opportunities.

Charter schools and tribal organizations can also apply for the funds.

The infrastructure law makes significant investments in electric vehicles including the recently announced $11.3 million for charging stations along Arizona’s interstate highways.