Now Open – Zero Emission School Bus and Infrastructure (ZESBI) Incentive Project

ZESBI Now Open!

The Zero Emission School Bus and Infrastructure (ZESBI) incentive project is now open for applications.  ZESBI’s initial application window opened on May 14, 2024, at 10:00am Pacific Time.  The application link is available at: www.californiahvip.org/zesbi.

A total of $500 million is appropriated by Senate Bill (SB) 114 for ZESBI incentives, pairing zero-emission (ZE) school bus vehicle funding through the California Air Resources Board (CARB), with charging infrastructure funding through the California Energy Commission (CEC). In Fiscal Year 2023-24, $375 million is allocated to support the replacement of old internal combustion school buses with ZE school buses and $125 million is allocated to support infrastructure and associated cost incentives.

​​​Applicant Eligibility
Eligible applicants include California Public School Districts, California Public Charter Schools, California Joint Power Authorities, and California County Offices of Education. Charter schools classified as a non-classroom-based charter school as of FY 2021-22 are not eligible entities. All applicants must serve students within the K-12th grade levels and own their own school buses.

Participation in ZESBI requires the scrappage of an old school bus for each new zero-emission school bus that is awarded.

Applicant Prioritization

Applicants within each tier (Tiers 1 – 3) will be ranked based on the timestamp of submission of their complete Application Part A. The timestamp on any application that is missing materials or otherwise deemed incomplete will not be recorded until all application materials are submitted.

Please refer to the Local Educational Agency Prioritization List to identify an applicant’s priority tier.  If you cannot locate your Local Educational Agency name, please contact [email protected] for help in determining tier designation.

How to Prepare for Application
Eligible applicants interested in applying should be prepared to provide the following at time of Application Part A:

1. A Letter of Intent signed by an authorized representative stating the applicant’s intent to purchase zero-emission school bus(es).  A Letter of Intent template is available.
2. A current copy of the DMV registration for each old school bus included in Application Part A.
3. A current copy of the CHP Safety Certification (CHP 292 or equivalent) for each old school bus included in Application Part A. The old school bus(es) must have a current, unexpired, CHP 292 or equivalent at time of application submittal.

Please review the Application Information Session recording for a more detailed explanation of the application process.

FY 23-24 Appendix G: ZESBI Incentives
FY 23-24 HVIP Implementation Manual, Appendix G: Zero Emission School Bus & Infrastructure Incentives has been published and can be located on our website.

The policies and requirements in the HVIP Implementation Manual apply to ZESBI. In instances where the policies and requirements differ, those outlined in Appendix G take precedence for ZESBI.

Cal Fleet Advisor
Cal Fleet Advisor is providing free technical assistance to California school districts and offering customized solutions for school bus electrification.

Explore electrification with an advisor today! For more information, please visit www.calfleetadvisor.org/esb.

Questions?
Please reach out to [email protected] with questions. We’re here to help.

Published: May 14, 2024