SEC 74 Clean School Bus Grant
Michigan’s Clean Bus Energy Grant Opens TODAY!
November 4, 2024
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Overview
Michigan Department of Education (MDE) in collaboration with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and Michigan Association of Pupil Transportation (MAPT) opened applications for the 74(b) Clean Bus Energy Grant, a $125 million program aimed at helping Michigan school districts replace aging diesel school buses with cleaner alternatives.
Through the program, public school districts can receive up to 70% of the cost of an electric school bus, charging station and infrastructure. The program also works to prioritize high-need districts, examining criteria like income, environmental risk factors, and rural or indigenous populations. Schools that meet these criteria are eligible for additional funding to cover up to 90% of the total project costs. Alternative fueled buses will be funded at lower levels.
IMPORTANT UPDATES to the MDE 74(b) Clean Bus Energy Grant
The 74(b) Clean Bus Energy Grant is OPEN for ROUND #3: November 4, 2024 till 8:00 PM ET May 2, 2025.
We collected feedback from schools, advocates and manufacturers on Rounds 1 and 2, and MDE has modified the program to meet the needs of school districts. Please note the following key changes to the program guide for Round #3:
- Open period for the program is extended:
- The program will be open from November 4, 2024 through 8:00 PM ET on May 2, 2025 in response to requests to prolong the program duration and improve timing for school districts.
- Stacking:
- The program deadline for Round 3 was purposely extended to encourage school districts to combine an EPA Clean School Bus Program Rebates award (closes January 9, 2025 with awards announcements expected in May 2025) with a 74(b) Clean Bus Energy Grant award. We want districts to maximize their funding from BOTH of these programs to allow for as little out of pocket costs as possible. In some cases, it is possible that the school district will have zero out of pocket costs for their project!
- Support:
- Third party entities are still ineligible to apply on behalf of school districts; however, we have created a checklist to assist schools in their data collection for the application listed under “Resources”. We will continue to hold weekly office hours (Fridays from 9:30-10:30 AM) and questions can be emailed to [email protected]. Please see https://mapt.org/sec-74-clean-school-bus-grant/ for further resources and details on informational events and webinars.
Application Process
To access the application, school districts are to log into NexSys using the MILogin portal and search for 74(b) Clean Bus Energy Grant. Proposals must be submitted electronically to the NexSys portal and are due no later than 8:00 PM ET on October 12, 2024. If all funds are not exhausted, future funding rounds with or without modifications to the program will occur.
Please note the following pages that must be filled out and uploaded with the grant application:
- Page 11 MI Clean School Bus Program School Board Awareness Certification
- Page 12 MI Clean School Bus Program Utilities Awareness Certification
- Page 13 MI Clean School Bus Program Scrappage Statement
- Page 14-15 MI Clean School Bus Program Service Level Agreement
Support and FAQs
Questions should be emailed to [email protected].
Check out the FAQ here.
Support Hours
Weekly office hours will be held by MDE and MAPT every Friday from 9:30- 10:30 AM ET to assist applicants with their questions. The ZOOM link for these office hours is HERE.
Webinars
September 17, 2024 Webinar: Michigan Clean Bus Energy Grant Program – Round 2
December 12, 2023 Webinar: MAPT/EPA “How Utilities Can Assist with Electrifying Your Fleet & Case Study Examples”
This past webinar recording from December 2023 (start at 27:00) highlights TCO and utility engagement (41:00) with school districts across Michigan. It was originally created to share information on the EPA Clean School Bus Program Rebates Round that closed in February 2024, but it will be helpful to understand what to expect from your utilities if you are considering an electric school bus. A list of utility contacts will be posted here shortly. We recommend contacting your school district’s utility account manager ASAP and inquire about options for fleet electrification.