$1.4M Grant To Help Loudoun County Buy 6 Electric School Buses

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — Just in time for the Aug. 26 start of the 2021-22 academic year, Loudoun County Public Schools is receiving $1,442,244 to replace six diesel school buses with six new electric models, according to a release from Gov. Ralph Northam's office.

The grant funding comes from $10.5 million the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust provided the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to replace a total of 83 buses across the state's 18 school districts with electric or propane-fueled buses.

"We all benefit from transitioning away from diesel school buses and investing in clean alternatives for our transportation system," Northam said, in the release. "I know how important clean air is for children's health. Since I took office, the Commonwealth has been focused on transforming the electric grid, developing clean energy resources, and addressing the climate crisis through initiatives that allow Virginia to invest in a clean and healthy future."

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The grant funding comes from the $93 million Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust, which was established in 2016 as part of a settlement between Virginia and the automaker. Volkswagen had sold more than 500,000 excessively polluting vehicles in the U.S., over 16,000 of which were sold in Virginia.

"It is encouraging to see how successful the funds from the Volkswagen settlement have been in supporting clean alternatives for transportation," Attorney General Mark Herring said, in the release. "We have been clear that Virginia's environment is a top priority. I am proud that this settlement is being used to support important causes, like providing clean, safe, and healthy transportation for children going to and from school."

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DEQ, which administers the trust, has long-term, clean energy goals to reduce air pollution and mitigate climate change. Replacing publicly owned vehicles, such as school buses, is one of the ways the department is trying to achieve its goals. In 2019, Northam directed $20 million in grant funding from the trust to support initiatives aimed at replacing school buses.

"Virginia's investments in electrifying the school bus fleets is an important and critical part of our comprehensive approach to reducing pollution," DEQ Director David Paylor said, in the release. "Collectively, the replacement of these school buses is calculated to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 10,000 tons per year, and will save one million gallons of diesel fuel, equivalent to removing 2,000 cars from the road."