BECKLEY, W.Va. — A top EPA administrator is urging West Virginia school districts to apply for federal funds available for electric-powered school buses.
EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz was in Raleigh County Thursday to promote the grant program that makes available $500 million available to school systems across the country.
Ortiz said Raleigh County Schools has already applied for the funding.
“They’ve stepped up. They’ve reached out and they are aggressively competing for this money,” Ortiz said. “They are an example to schools throughout the state and it makes a difference. It’s going to save the school district money over time.”
The county is seeking funding for three electric buses.
Ortiz said school districts can receive up to $375,000 with additional money for the hardware necessary to keep electric buses on the road.
The deadline to apply is Aug. 19.
“You have five weeks school districts to get your applications in,” Ortiz said.
West Virginia is a priority for funding, EPA officials said.
Delegate Chris Toney, R-Raleigh, who is also a school bus driver, has been promoting electric buses for the past several months. He’s driven buses from GreenPower, the company scheduled to begin production of electric school buses at a South Charleston-based plant this fall. Toney said Thursday a new state pilot program will allow all school districts to get a better look at the buses.
“They’ll know in October if they actually get the vehicles or not from the federal government. So while the pilot is going on, if they’ve applied (for federal funds), they can go in for the next round or decide to buy one themselves,” Toney said.
Reporter Keith Thompson of WJLS Radio contributed to this story.