The EPA is buying electric school buses for Washington state.

The EPA has allocated $8.4 million to help buy 28 electric school buses in Washington state. They will be going to two different school districts. Everybody has an opinion about global warming and fossil fuels and zero emissions vehicles. My opinion is if it's cheaper to run them and maintain them then let's get them and if Washington, DC is going to pay the bill? I'm all for it. 

According to KIRO7.com,
‘On Dec 11, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an $8.4 million grant to the Washington Department of Ecology, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and Woodland Public Schools to help fund the purchase of 28 zero-emission vehicles.’ 

Here is the tally of who gets what. 

Woodland Public Schools will get $4,249,000 to replace 14 diesel buses. The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation will get $260,000 to replace a diesel garbage truck with an electric one and The Washington Department of Ecology will get 3,887,706 to help buy electric buses to replace 13 diesel school buses. 

Full disclosure, I do drive an electric vehicle.  

To me, the main reason for buying these vehicles is not that they will reduce Carbon emissions in the state and save the planet. When I was driving my gas vehicle, it cost me approximately $25 a week in gas to drive to and from work every day. Now it costs me about two and a half cents a week in electricity to drive to and from work and my electric vehicle. Like electric cars, electric school buses are so cheaper to operate and cheaper to maintain. Our public schools in Washington state do not have money to burn. Better to invest in a technology that is easier to operate and maintain. 

Yes, I know that electric vehicles are less efficient in cold weather, but they are still more efficient than gas powered vehicles. If you buy the right bus with the right battery pack, it's still going to have plenty of range for its school route. 

The other day I was talking to somebody about this topic, and they were very upset. They said, “what are you going to do with all those old buses?” I'm not sure I have a good response to that question although, what do we do with any old technology that we don't use anymore? If we're smart, we recycle it. 

EPA is giving $8.4 million to buy 28 electric vehicles in Washington – KIRO 7 News Seattle