Park City School District Chief Operations Officer Mike Tanner said the district could have two new electric buses by next summer.
Earlier this year the EPA announced the school district would receive $400,000 in federal funding to buy two electric school buses as part of its Clean School Bus Program rebate competition.
The money comes from the bipartisan infrastructure bill passed by Congress in 2021.
At a press conference at Jeremy Ranch Elementary School Tuesday, EPA Region 8 Chief of Staff Kelly Watkins said the electric buses deliver numerous benefits.
“With zero tailpipe emissions, the clean school buses are really just an incredible advance for children’s health,” Watkins said. “They’re also better for the environment. Transportation is a major contributor to air pollution.”
Watkins said the buses are also quieter compared to their diesel counterparts.
Tanner said the federal funding won’t cover the cost of two electric buses — those can cost around $350,000.
However, the district won’t incur additional costs to purchase electric buses. The district adds around three buses to its fleet each year, as buses are on a 10-year rotation. Tanner said with the federal funding, two new electric buses will cost the district the same as buying two diesel buses.
Granite School District, which serves 92 Salt Lake County schools, and Vernal’s Uintah School District were also awarded funding to purchase electric buses through the federal program.
