Thanks to President Biden, Governor Cooper and North Carolina Democrats, electric school buses are coming to the Tar Heel State.
On Monday, city officials announced that Greensboro will receive more than $3 million from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to buy electric buses. These funds will modernize Greensboro’s transportation infrastructure and make headway on tackling the climate crisis.
On Tuesday, Governor Cooper joined Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to debut the first electric-vehicle school bus in North Carolina – making progress towards the state’s clean energy future.
See below for what North Carolinians are reading on President Biden, Governor Cooper and Democrats’ efforts to bring electric buses to North Carolina:
News & Record: Greensboro gets $3 million grant to buy new electric buses
The City of Greensboro will receive slightly more than $3 million to buy electric buses, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration. The money is intended to replace older buses that have exceeded their useful life. The money is part of $409.3 million in grants to 70 projects in 39 states funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Along with a local match of 465,000, the city will be able to purchase four battery-electric buses and charging hardware, according to Kevin Elwood, spokesman for the Greensboro Transit Authority.
WGHP: Greensboro gets about $3 million in federal funds for 4 more electric buses
The air along the streets of Greensboro might become a bit cleaner sometime soon. The city on Monday was given a transportation grant of more than $3 million to replace aging and declining city buses with electric buses. That was one of 70 projects in 39 states announced in $409.3 million by the Federal Transit Administration as part of the infrastructure grant. These allocations were made specifically to “modernize and electrify” bus systems and routes with a goal to make them safer and more reliable, a release from the U.S. Department of Transportation said. The goal is to help clean up emissions and make bus systems cleaner overall.
WWAY: Gov. Cooper Joins EPA and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to unveil first electric school bus in NC
The first electric school bus was unveiled Tuesday in North Carolina. Governor Roy Cooper joined Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to highlight the state’s transition to a clean energy economy. The NC Department of Environmental Quality used funds from the Volkswagen Emissions Settlement to buy the bus. “This electric school bus is better for the environment and our children’s health, and it was made right here in North Carolina. That’s a win-win-win for our state,” Governor Cooper said. “The transition to clean transportation is critical in our fight against climate change and this new emission-free bus shows just how many opportunities for clean energy transitions there are in our everyday life.”
Spectrum News: Cooper, Regan celebrate electric school buses for Cherokees
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and his former environmental secretary — now EPA Administrator Michael Regan — are celebrating the use of electricity to transport children to and from school and activities. Cooper and Regan were expected to join leaders of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in far western North Carolina on Tuesday to highlight what the tribe calls the first electric-vehicle school bus in the state. The Eastern Band ordered the school bus through a grant from the state Department of Environmental Quality. That money came from the state’s share of an emission settlement involving Volkswagen over its diesel vehicles. The Cherokee Boys Club received the bus this month.
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