The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded South Carolina more than $58 million to purchase electric school buses, as part of its Clean School Bus Program. The funds to the South Carolina Department of Education are the third largest award nationally. It will be used to purchase 148 electric buses for 16 school districts and support infrastructure for the new buses.

South Carolina districts receiving the buses through the EPA Clean School Bus Program awards include: Abbeville County School District, Anderson School District 3, Anderson School District Five, Barnwell School District 45, Chester County School District, Dorchester District Four, Fairfield County School District, Georgetown County School District, Hampton County School District, Jasper County School District, Laurens County School District 56, Marion County School District, McCormick County School District, Orangeburg County School District, Richland County School District One and Sumter School District. The EPA and state officials will hold an event in Orangeburg on Nov. 1 to commemorate the awards for South Carolina.

"The South Carolina Department of Education is grateful to receive this funding which will continue the strides we’ve made to modernize our fleet," said SCDE Director of Transportation Mike Bulllman. “Since Superintendent Spearman took office, we have cut the age of our buses by half and implemented many safety measures and upgrades to vastly improve our system. We are excited for the districts and look forward to working with utility providers to get these electric buses on South Carolina roads.”

In May, EPA announced the availability of $500 million for its Clean School Bus Program. Due to renewed demands, EPA nearly doubled the amount of funding to $965 million. The rebate application period closed in August with high volume response from school districts seeking to purchase electric and low-emission school buses across the country.

“As many as 25 million children rely on the bus to get to school each day,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in a press release. “This is just the beginning of our work to build a healthier future, reduce climate pollution, and ensure the clean, breathable air that all our children deserve.”

School districts identified as priority areas serving low-income, rural, and, or Tribal students make up 99% of the projects that were selected nationwide by EPA. More applications are under review, and the agency plans to select more to reach the full funding amount in the coming weeks.

EPA is also partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy and Department of Transportation to provide school districts with robust technical assistance to ensure effective implementation.

View the full list of Clean School Bus award recipients nationwide here.