New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said it has awarded nearly $32 million in grants to support the deployment of electric school buses and the expansion of publicly accessible electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the state.
According to the department, more than $18 million was allocated in the second round of the Electric School Bus Grant Program. The funding will support the purchase of 53 battery-electric school buses and the installation of 41 related charging units, including fast chargers.
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An additional $13.6 million was awarded through the EV Charging Grant Program to fund 26 projects that will install publicly accessible charging stations. These projects are planned for locations such as town centres, retail areas, multi-unit residential buildings and transit hubs.
The latest awards follow funding announced last year, when the state set aside $20 million for electric school buses and $10 million for charging infrastructure.
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The electric school bus grants represent the second phase of a programme authorised in 2022 and backed by up to $45 million over three years. The initiative is financed through the Clean Energy Fund, which is administered by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. Grant recipients include school districts and bus operators across northern, central and southern New Jersey, with 11 awards directed to communities classified by the state as overburdened.
Separately, the EV Charging Grant Program will support the installation of 82 charging stations providing 136 fast-charging ports across 16 counties. The new infrastructure will expand New Jersey’s existing network, which the state said already includes more than 1,900 fast-charging ports and over 3,100 Level 2 chargers.
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State officials said the funding is intended to reduce emissions from the transportation sector, which New Jersey identifies as its largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, while improving access to electric vehicles and charging infrastructure statewide.
