Electric School Bus Grant Program

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Please reach out to transportation.mea@maryland.gov​ email for 1-on-1 meetings or calls to discuss filling out the Jotform application form or any questions on the FOA. Thank you!


Frequently Asked Questions:

Maryland Electric School Bus Grant Program FAQ

Program Purpose: The FY25 Maryland Electric School Bus Grant Program is being established in support of the Moore-Miller administration’s announcement to direct $17 million for grants to purchase and lease electric school buses to serve Maryland public school students. The Program offers a statewide competitive application process for eligible vehicles utilized in student transportation services, with a strong focus on expanding access to funding for overburdened and underserved communities facing economic challenges.  Please note: in no case should MEA and other state incentives (including federal) exceed the total funding request/cost of the project.

Eligible Applicants:
  • Public Local Education Agencies (LEAs) 
  • Fleets/private school bus vendors operating on behalf of LEAs to purchase school buses.​
Eligible Vehicles: 
  • Any publicly-funded school bus procured by an eligible entity for the routine transportation of students for school or school-related programming or activities is eligible for consideration.
  • Vehicles must be purchased new (i.e. retrofits or repowered vehicles are NOT eligible).
  • A vehicle that has been funded in whole or in part by another Maryland State grant may not be funded through this program.​
Electric School Bus Funding Diagram

Funding:
  • Up to $17 million available in Fiscal Year 2025. 
  • Grant will cover up to 85% of the incremental cost of eligible vehicles, with additional funding for charging infrastructure, and other associated costs (more information in the FOA below). 
  • ​The maximum award amount cap will be $1,500,000.00 per Grantee, which includes electric school bus purchase, charging infrastructure, and associated costs. Depending on income qualifications and the size of the school district, the maximum award amount cap may be increased to $2,000,000.00. 
  • Maximum cap on requested charging infrastructure is 30% of total project funding request

Additional Information and Resources:

● Free Technical Advising

○ The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) announced the Clean Bus Planning Awards (CBPA) program, funded by the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office). Managed by NREL, the CBPA program provides free technical assistance to create comprehensive and customized bus electrification plans for fleets. Complete and submit NREL’s CBPA application form. Applications may be submitted on a rolling basis. NREL will provide all applicants with a confirmation of application receipt.

● Federal Tax Credits for Electric School Buses through the Inflation Reduction Act

○ The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offers two tax credits: one for electric school buses (Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit​​) and one for charging infrastructure (Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit​).

● Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean School Bus Rebates

○ The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021 authorizes the EPA to offer rebates to replace existing school buses with clean and zero-emission models.


Contact: For more information or questions, please contact Natalie Buscemi, Transportation Program Manager, at transportation.mea@maryland.gov or 410-537-4071.

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