Electrification Coalition Applauds Federal Grants for Bus Electrification

Electrification Coalition Applauds Federal Grants for Bus Electrification

Federal Transit Administration awards $130 million for bus electrification programs, bringing health, economic, and environmental benefits to additional communities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 9, 2020 WASHINGTON, DC — The Electrification Coalition praises the $130 million in Fiscal Year 2020 funding provided by the Federal Transit Administration’s Low or No Emission Vehicle Program (Low-No) to purchase electric buses and charging infrastructure, expediting the transition of additional bus fleets away from diesel to American-made energy. There are numerous benefits of shifting transit bus fleets to electric—lowering fuel and maintenance costs for cities and transit agencies, improving air quality for communities, and reducing our dependence on oil. Cities are increasingly turning to transit bus electrification to combat the economic, health and security impacts of our dependence on a foreign and volatile fossil fuels market. Converting 100 buses to electric reduces diesel consumption by 8.8 million gallons over their useful life and lowers average lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 60%. With the mounting impact that COVID-19 is having on both respiratory health and financial resources in cities around the country, bus electrification offers a path to address local budgetary, sustainability, and accessibility concerns in a meaningful and lasting way. “The Low-No Program is helping accelerate the leadership of Cities and transit agencies who are working to create an electrified transportation future that will lower costs, increase sustainability, and reduce our dependence on oil,” said Ben Prochazka, National Director of the Electrification Coalition. “The EC is excited to work with forward-thinking leaders across the country to leverage federal funding opportunities to fast-track the U.S. transition to an electrified transit future.” There is significant pent-up demand for the popular Low-No Program, with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) receiving applications for nearly six times the amount of available funding in FY 2019. The recent Get America Moving Again report, from the EC and sister organization Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE), contains recommendations to expand this program, and early steps to increase funding are being taken on Capitol Hill. SAFE has applauded provisions in the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee’s new INVEST in America Act that increase electric bus funding five-fold. In testimony before the House T&I Committee last year, Prochazka urged lawmakers to expand the Low-No Program and take additional steps to advance bus electrification, including creating low- or zero-interest loans and continued support of bus programs through the FAST Act surface transportation law. The Electrification Coalition (EC) worked closely with numerous Low-No funding recipients both this year and in FY 2019, including providing technical resources, as well as total cost of ownership modeling to show the cost benefits of buses, and supporting the grant application process. A complete list of FY 2020 Low-No grant funding recipients can be found on the FTA website.

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About the Electrification Coalition: The Electrification Coalition is a nonpartisan, nonprofit group of business leaders committed to promoting policies and actions that reduce America’s dependence on oil by facilitating the deployment of electric vehicles on a mass scale. The members of the Electrification Coalition are leaders of companies representing the entire value chain of an electrified transportation system. For more information, visit www.electrificationcoalition.org.

Media Contact: Adam Snider, Electrification Coalition asnider@electrificaitoncoalition.org | 202-365-8971

Amy Malaki

Amy Malaki is the head of policy and sustainability at SkyNRG and SkyNRG Americas, pioneering global leaders in sustainable aviation fuel production and supply. Prior to SkyNRG, Amy was the associate director for the transportation portfolio at the ClimateWorks Foundation where she developed philanthropic investment strategies to advance a sustainable, equitable and low-carbon mobility system. She also pioneered the organization’s international aviation decarbonization strategy. Prior to that she focused on Asia business development at Better Place, a Silicon Valley electric vehicle network startup. She has a B.A. in Chinese and China studies from the University of Washington and an M.A. in international policy studies (energy and environment) from Stanford University.