The U.S. Transportation Department has announced that it will make funding available for cities and states to invest in 1,800 clean energy buses. This will include 1,100 buses with certified zero emissions.
The funding for this clean energy transition will amount to $1.66 billion dollars, and the first new buses should be coming to cities in the coming months.
There are also provisions for 700 hybrid electric buses that will add to an already large fleet. Reuters had some details to share about the significant changes that need to happen.
“While the idea might sound controversial on the surface, the bans that have been approved so far only stop the construction of proposed gas stations, meaning that there will still be plenty of places left for Americans to fill up their cars. The United States has one gas station for every 2,500 people — more than twice the number of gas stations per person than the European Union.”
California has the highest gas prices in the country. However, the ban on gas stations won’t affect the cost of gas. Still, a ban on new gas stations will mean better health, equity, and safety of the community.
Ban proponents say that recent wildfires, heat waves, and floods that have been hitting the US are all fueled by climate change, and it’s a sign to stop expanding the fossil fuel infrastructure.
Moreover, gas stations can cause lasting health effects because they release a carcinogen called benzene and contaminate air, water, and soil.