Rebekah Ashley, the Lead Organizer for Climate and Energy at the Utah Chapter, participated in a national Sierra Club panel on November 1. The discussion addressed Utah's work to electrify school bus fleets through the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act allocates $1 billion annually until 2026 to transition to electric and low-emission fuel school buses. In Utah, the Sierra Club has worked to organize the electrification of school districts. In Salt Lake City, the local school district has committed to using 100 percent clean, renewable energy in its electricity sector by 2030 and currently maintains the largest electric bus fleet in the state.
By the end of 2022, Utah saw growing bipartisan support for electric school buses. Twelve school districts applied for the program, including large urban districts and smaller rural districts. While ten of those districts were placed on a waitlist, the Uintah School District and Tintic District received funding for electric buses. Both selected districts are located in rural communities that serve energy and former mining communities. The Uintah School District is located in the Uintah Basin, which is the largest natural gas producer in the state.
Electrifying school buses is intended to provide public health benefits, as diesel exhaust is a known carcinogen. Diesel exhaust can be up to 12 times more polluting than what children encounter when riding in a regular car. Communities of color, working-class communities, and children with disabilities are noted as being particularly vulnerable to this pollution.
Electric buses produce zero tailpipe emissions and are quieter than diesel alternatives. This transition can also lead to savings for school districts regarding maintenance and operations costs. The Sierra Club has urged local districts to prioritize 100 percent electric buses over other low-emission fuel options like propane to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and smog.
The Sierra Club Utah Chapter continues to act as a resource for electrifying county bus fleets as part of the opportunities presented by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
