RICHMOND — On Friday, May 7, Governor Ralph Northam awarded more than $9.4 million through the first round of the Clean Air Communities Program.
This funding will fund five government fleet electrification projects in the Commonwealth. This will aid in furthering the transition to clean vehicles.
The governor has also allotted an extra $20 million to help electrify diesel and propane-fueled school buses in Virginia.
“Currently, approximately 99 percent of Virginia’s public school buses use diesel and more than 3,500 buses are at least 15 years old,” said Secretary of Natural Resources Matthew J. Strickler. “This program will focus on replacing buses in disadvantaged communities already overburdened by pollution.”
The Clean Air Communities Program, which is administered by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), invests in a range of technologies that provide cost-effective, near-term emission benefits coupled with investments in zero-emission technologies.
“Supporting clean transportation solutions is a vital part of our efforts to combat climate change and improve air quality in the Commonwealth,” said Governor Northam.
The first round of Clean Air Communities Program award recipients include several entities in Fairfax and Amherst counties as well as the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority (Dulles International Airport).
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