At the time of publication, eleven states have published their final VW settlement plans and another twenty have draft plans in the hopper. But more importantly, some of the states have already begun implementing their plans and allocating funds.
School buses are an early favorite
Oregon will allocate funds to a variety of local school districts based on the age of the buses within those districts. In line with the VW settlement’s efforts to achieve transparency, the state has published the list of districts selected. The selected districts may choose to take one of two actions on their eligible buses
- Receive up to 100 percent of costs to purchase and install exhaust controls (i.e, DPFs) or
- Receive up to $50,000 to purchase a new diesel or alternative fuel school bus
Minnesota’s first phase of VW dollars will include a $2.35 million carve out for school bus projects. Public and private operators are eligible to apply for funding and there are no limits on the types of fuel used. The school bus program is expected to open any day and will cover up to $15,000 per vehicle. For buses serving school districts where 40% of students are eligible for free or reduced-cost lunch, the incentive rises to $20,000 per bus.
California recently approved $130 million in funding specifically for buses, school, transit, and shuttle buses. A maximum of $400,000 will be allocated per zero-emission school bus, covering nearly the entire cost, and $180,000 for buyers of zero-emission school buses, covering approximately 25% of the cost. To read more, click here.