Work Group Meeting #2 to Discuss the SB 114 Funding Available for Zero-Emission School Buses and Infrastructure (4/3/2024)

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) and California Energy Commission (CEC), invite you to participate in a public work group meeting to discuss the implementation of incentives for zero-emission public school buses and supporting infrastructure made available by Senate Bill 114 (Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review, Chapter 48, Statutes of 2023). SB 114 appropriated a total of $500 million to CARB and CEC for the 2023-24 fiscal year to fund zero-emission school buses and supporting infrastructure through grants awarded to local educational agencies. CARB and CEC have named this new funding opportunity “Zero-Emission School Bus and Infrastructure” (ZESBI) grants. At this work group meeting, staff will discuss legislative requirements, application timeline, award amounts, eligible costs, and priority applicants. Staff encourage the public to participate in the work group and provide feedback on program design prior to the ZESBI grant program’s application launch. The presentation will be posted to the Low Carbon Transportation Investments and Air Quality Improvement Program website and CEC’s Zero Emission School Bus and Infrastructure Program webpage ahead of the meeting.

The work group meeting will be held via Zoom webinar at the following date and time:

Date: April 3, 2024
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: Zoom Webinar

To participate in the work group, please register by 1:00 pm on April 3, 2024.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information to join the webinar either through a computer, digital device or via conference line. Each meeting link in the confirmation email is unique so please do not share it with others. Every person that wishes to participate needs to register separately and use the unique link sent to them to access the webinar. Please note that there is no in-person attendance option for this meeting. This meeting will be recorded. A link to the recording and a list of work group attendees will be available two weeks after the meeting date on the Low Carbon Transportation Investments Meetings and Workshops page and CEC’s Zero Emission School Bus and Infrastructure Program webpage.
________________________________________

Background

SB 114

Senate Bill 114, which amended Section 121 of Assembly Bill 181 (Committee on Budget, Chapter 52, Statutes of 2022), appropriated a total of $500 million to CARB and CEC for the 2023-24 fiscal year to fund zero-emission school buses and supporting infrastructure through grants awarded to local educational agencies. The intent of the funding is to replace heavy-duty internal combustion school buses, owned by local educational agencies, with zero-emission school buses and support the transition by complementing vehicle investments with infrastructure funding. Of the $500 million, $375 million in incentives will be awarded through CARB’s Clean Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) for zero-emission school buses and $125 million will be awarded to local educational agencies through CEC’s Zero-Emission School Bus Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Block Grant for charging or fueling stations and related activities, including, but not limited to, equipment, site design, construction, related infrastructure upgrades, and workforce development and training. The ZESBI block grant will be recommended for award and approval at the CEC’s April Business Meeting.

HVIP

The incentives for the procurement of zero-emission school buses for local educational agencies will be administered through HVIP. HVIP is the cornerstone of CARB’s advanced technology heavy-duty incentives, providing funding since 2010 to support the long-term transition to zero-emission trucks and buses. For more information about HVIP, please visit californiahvip.org.
________________________________________

Contact

If you have questions regarding the work group, please contact Manuel Aguila, Air Pollution Specialist.

If you require a special accommodation or need this document in an alternate format (i.e. Braille, large print) or another language, please email Clean Transportation Incentives, as soon as possible. TTY/TDD/Speech to Speech users may dial 711 for the California Relay Service.

Written Comments

Written comments may be submitted to the CEC Docket Unit until 5:00 p.m. on April 17, 2024.

Written and oral comments, attachments, and associated contact information (including address, phone number, and email address) will become part of the public record of this proceeding with access available via any internet search engine. Written comments may also be submitted by email. Include docket number “18-TRAN-01” and “Notice of Work Group Meeting #2 to Discuss the SB 114 Funding Available for Zero-Emission School Buses and Infrastructure” in the subject line and email to [email protected].