Frost, Soto Welcome EPA Grant for Green Orange County School Buses

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently awarded $5 million in grants to the Orange County Public School system for a fleet of twenty electric school buses. Representatives Maxwell Frost (D-FL) and Darren Soto (D-FL) welcomed the grant and purchase, citing the importance of combating climate change.

Rep. Frost said the grant "will help us tackle some of the worst contributors to climate change and help usher in a new era of clean energy for Orange County. With the climate crisis being a clear and present danger to our community and humanity, it is steps like this that help us fight this existential threat."

Rep. Soto similarly added, "Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a critical step to protect clean air for our students, combat climate change, and preserve the planet for future generations," adding, "I look forward to seeing the positive changes coming to the school district and will keep working to secure more federal funds for Central Florida."

A similar fleet of electric school buses was recently introduced to Hillsborough County, a move applauded by Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL), who said, "Clean school buses will deliver cleaner air, healthier students, and save money over time."

Part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by President Biden in 2021, the Clean School Bus program was allocated $5 billion over five years, offering grants to school systems that would replace traditional school buses with low- or no-emission models, already awarding over $2 billion since it went into effect.

The Biden Administration has sought to expand the usage of electric vehicles in the United States, an agenda that has received challenges from Republicans and conservatives, especially in the realm of private ownership.

In July, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody led a coalition against proposed EPA standards for gas-powered vehicles as part of this Biden agenda, which seeks to have 67% of all new vehicles sold in 2032 be electric.

AG Moody called the new EPA standards "a dangerous, expedited timeline to shift to electric vehicles [that] will harm consumers and wreak havoc on our energy infrastructure."