At a local elementary school on Tuesday, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich announced a $7 million federal investment in electric buses and charging stations for Albuquerque Public Schools.
At Los Ranchos Elementary School, sounds of children learning flew out of the open windows. A brand new electric school bus was parked outside.
U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich recalled his own childhood of taking the bus to school.
“I remember sitting in the back, because those were the seats that you would fight over in the back, right? But that's also where the windows were down and the diesel fumes would come in every single day, and we didn't really think about it that much back then," he said. "And now, knowing what we know today, we realize what a huge public health issue it is to be breathing diesel exhaust on a regular basis. And certainly not what we want for our kids."
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program, which was funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, aims to change that by replacing diesel-fueled buses with electric ones.
APS is one of 530 districts around the country benefiting from the program. It is set to receive 20 electric buses that will roll out early next year.
Superintendent Gabriella Duran-Blakey said the district transports more than 30,000 students every day on about 270 buses.
“These buses represent our commitment to become a more sustainable district that is looking to be as environmentally friendly as possible,” she said. “We are excited to take this step which will benefit the health of our students and staff, our community and the environment.”
Diesel-fueled school buses have been linked to asthma and other conditions that can be harmful to student health.
Heinrich said he hopes to fund electric school buses for more school districts around the state in the future. He said building EV charging stations can be expensive but the buses will end up paying for themselves over time because they are easier to maintain.
Support from this coverage comes from the Thornburg Foundation.
