The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has announced the availability of $20 million in grant funding to support the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) across the state. The grants, announced during National Drive Electric Month (Sept. 12–Oct. 12), are divided between two key programs: one for electric school buses and another for charging stations.
Electric school bus grant program
The electric school bus grant program will provide $10 million to replace older, high-polluting diesel buses with clean electric ones, which are particularly beneficial for children’s health. The program is open to school districts that own their buses and school bus contractors who serve school districts. Contractors must apply in conjunction with a specific school or district.
The grants are designed to cover the incremental cost of switching from a new diesel bus to a new electric one. Applicants can receive up to $350,000 for each bus and charging station in overburdened districts and up to $320,000 for those in other areas. The NJDEP is also offering free technical support through the New Jersey Fleet Advisor program to help grantees with their transition to electric fleets.
Applications for the electric school bus grants are due Sept. 26. More information can be found here
EV charging grant program
An additional $10 million is being offered through the EV Charging Grant Program to expand New Jersey’s charging infrastructure. The grants will fund the installation of publicly accessible charging stations, particularly in locations near multi-unit housing and transit stations. The goal is to make EV ownership more convenient and accessible as the number of electric vehicles on New Jersey roads continues to grow.
This program will provide up to $100,000 for each publicly accessible fast-charging port. The funding can be combined with other utility incentives. Applications for the fast-charging station grants will be accepted until Oct. 25.
More information can be found here
Funding for the electric school bus program comes from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities’ Clean Energy Fund, while the charging station grants are supported by proceeds from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), federal investments, and environmental litigation settlement funds.
- Who can apply: The program is open to two types of entities:
- School districts that own their buses.
- School bus contractors that provide busing services to schools.
- For contractors: School bus contractors must apply in conjunction with a specific school or school district. A single contractor can apply with multiple schools or districts, but each must have a separate application.
Additionally, the program has specific goals for who receives funding:
- At least half of the selected school districts or contractors must operate within an “Overburdened Community.”
- The department aims to select an equal number of grantees from the northern, central, and southern regions of the state.
