NEW ANALYSIS: 424 cleaner electric school buses committed to Texas

Data shows $184 million state and federal invested in Texas for electric conversion – Austin, Killeen, Socorro, and Abilene-Wylie ISDs lead the state

DALLAS – 424 clean electric school buses are committed, on their way or operating in Texas, according to a new analysis released Monday by U.S.PIRG Education Fund and Environment Texas Research & Policy Center. Texas ranks 8th for the total electric school buses, and is 4th nationally for combined federal and state investments into electric bus fleets. With nearly a half million school buses shuttling kids back and forth across the United States this fall, electric school buses have zero tailpipe emissions and therefore offer a cleaner, healthier alternative to traditional diesel buses.

“Too many kids breathe harmful pollution every day just to get to and from school. Electric school buses eliminate this threat to their health,” said Dallas City Hall Advocate Ian Seamans.  “We applaud the school districts that have taken advantage of billions of state and federal dollars to invest in electric buses, and hope that more Texas officials will take the plunge while it’s right in front of them. ”

Whether they transport kids to school, field trips or sporting events, most school buses burn diesel fuel. This exposes children and drivers to harmful pollutants that are linked to asthma and other health issues, as well as cognitive development problems. The emissions from diesel buses also contribute to global warming.

According to the World Resources Institute, the United States now has 12,000 electric school buses either in operation or coming soon, in more than 1,500 school districts. California, New York and Illinois lead the country in total electric buses. Florida, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Massachusetts, Texas, Virginia and Georgia round out the rest of the top 10.

In Texas, four school districts alone account for 100 of the 424 operating or committed buses. Austin ISD has a total of 28 committed or operating buses, Killeen and Socorro ISDs have 25 each, and Abilene-Wylie ISD has 22. The metro area with the largest number of electric buses is Dallas-Fort Worth, with 54 buses committed or operating across five school districts.

Historic federal and state funding is driving the conversion to electric school buses across the country. California, New York and Illinois again lead the pack when it comes to available money. Other top states include Texas, Michigan, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.

Environment Texas Research & Policy Center encourages school districts to aggressively pursue electric vehicle funding to accelerate their conversion to a 100% electric school bus fleet. The groups also call on states, local governments and utilities to increase funding and reduce barriers to these cleaner electric school buses.

“It’s never been easier to convert to fully electric bus fleets,” said Seamans. “Student safety is always a priority, whether they’re on the bus or in the school itself. Ensuring that our kids can breathe clean, unpolluted air is another step we need to take so we can keep them safe, healthy and ready to learn.”

A full list of the electric buses awarded to Texas school districts is below:

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