The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection announced the award of nearly $32 million in grants that will advance the state’s transition to zero-emission school buses to better protect the health of schoolchildren and improve public access to charging stations in New Jersey communities.
Specifically, the DEP awarded more than $18 million through the second round of its Electric School Bus Grant Program for local purchases of 53 electric school buses and 41 associated fast chargers. In addition, the DEP awarded $13.6 million through its EV Charging Grant Program for 26 public and private projects to install publicly accessible charging stations at or near town and retail centers, multi-unit housing and transit hubs across the state.
The $18 million in grants is the second funding round of the Electric School Bus Grant Program, which was authorized by legislation Governor Phil Murphy signed in 2022. The legislation provided up to $45 million in funding over three years to replace diesel school buses with battery-electric school buses and install associated charging infrastructure. It is funded by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities’ (NJBPU) Clean Energy Fund.
Grant recipients will receive technical assistance through New Jersey Fleet Advisor to help them navigate key decisions around transitioning to zero emission vehicles. A personalized Fleet Electrification Roadmap will be developed to provide vehicle recommendations, cost projections, on-site infrastructure assessments and more.
Grant recipients are distributed across the northern, central and southern regions of the state, including 11 in overburdened communities. There are nine direct awards to schools and school districts and five awards to bus contractors serving New Jersey schools.
Published February 2026
