Distributed Energy Resources, GHG Emissions - February 10, 2025
Illinois EPA Funds Electric Buses
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) announced an award for the purchase of electric buses.
A $27 million award was given to Pace for the purchase of electric buses and $31.25 million to the RTA for the Chicago Transit Authority through “Driving a Cleaner Illinois.”
The Driving a Cleaner Illinois – Volkswagen grant opportunity for electric buses to the RTA region are the largest grants that IEPA has announced from the program to date.
Pace Suburban Bus will provide a $9 million match and the RTA will provide a $10.42 million match to the IEPA award. Pace will purchase 27 battery-electric buses (BEBs), and the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) will purchase 30-all-electric transit buses to replace the oldest diesel buses in their fleets.
By transitioning to a zero-emission fleet, the region’s public transportation system aims to significantly reduce harmful pollutants, contributing to healthier communities and a greener future.
“Public transit is more than just buses — it’s about connecting people to jobs, schools, healthcare, and opportunity, and being a good steward of our environment,” said Pace Chairman Rick Kwasneski in a statement. “We are grateful to the Governor’s leadership, which ensures critical, clean energy initiatives move forward."
Driving a Cleaner Illinois is the IEPA’s grant program developed to distribute funding for various types of mobile source electrification projects. The program implements funding from a variety of sources, including the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) Program.
Grant awards from IEPA to RTA and Pace will be incorporated into the RTA 5-Year Regional Capital Program later this year, and future service board bus purchasing plans will incorporate these grants to receive new electric buses in the near future.
The Illinois EPA has been designated as the lead agency to administer funds allocated to Illinois from the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust. Illinois’ initial allocation of funds is approximately $108 million to be used to fund mobile source diesel emission reduction projects, and the funds are designated for projects that reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides in Illinois.
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