The state Economic Development Authority announced last week that $70 million has been awarded to municipalities, schools, companies and projects to help cover the cost of 156 new electric vehicles and pieces of electric equipment. They include 114 electric school buses, seven garbage and dump trucks, 26 shuttle and transit buses and four forklifts.
The money — which comes from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, known as RGGI — will also support projects around the state led by electric ride-share companies to expand electric commuting options in communities lacking access to reliable transportation.
Four county governments and 27 municipalities and school districts will be able to purchase electric vehicles and equipment with this round of RGGI awards. (See the full list of communities and companies receiving awards below).
RGGI is a pact among 11 northeastern states including New Jersey, New York, Delaware and Pennsylvania, that want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The states require fossil fuel power plants to participate in quarterly auctions to obtain allowances for carbon dioxide emissions. Some of the proceeds from the auctions fund projects to reduce greenhouse gas pollution.
Seman-Tov Bus Company, which services school districts in Monmouth and Ocean counties, was awarded money to pay for 30 electric school buses, the most that any single company or school district received during this round of funding in New Jersey.
Jersey City is the only municipality that will receive funding for electric vehicle chargers, state officials said. The chargers will help move the city’s popular ride sharing program to all electric vehicles.
The awards for electric vehicles and equipment is part of Gov. Phil Murphy’s ambitious plan for 100% clean energy in New Jersey by 2035. Murphy also announced in February he wants all vehicles sold in the state to be electric within 12 years.
“These comprehensive initiatives will better protect and prepare every New Jersey community, including those on the front lines of climate change who have previously been left out and left behind,” Murphy said in February when he announced his plan.
New Jersey rejoined RGGI in 2019 after leaving the pact in 2012 under then-Gov. Chris Christie’s administration. The state has awarded funds for nearly 3,000 electric vehicle charging stations, 700 electric trucks and buses and 12,000 electric passenger vehicles around the state, state officials said.
The Economic Development Authority also announced it will host a series of sessions in April open to the public to comment on possible investments with future RGGI funds.
The next session will be held on April 11 via a Microsoft Teams webinar, according to the state department.
Here are the projects around the state that received a total of $70 million in awards from the latest round of RGGI auction proceeds.
ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUSES:
- Wall Township Public Schools – eight electric school buses
- Integrity Transportation, Egg Harbor City – six electric school buses
- Jay’s Bus Service, Lakewood – 16 electric school buses
- Seman-Tov Bus Company, Neptune Township – 30 electric school buses
- East Windsor Regional School District – four electric school buses
- Jackson Township School District – eight electric school buses
- East Brunswick Public Schools – 11 electric school buses
- Township of Maplewood – three electric school buses
- Irvin Raphael, Inc./ Raphael Bus Service LLC, Middlesex County – two electric school buses
- Joshua Tours, Passaic/ Essex County – four electric school buses
- Student Transportation of America, Inc., Trenton – seven electric school buses
- Klarr Transportation, Lakewood- one electric school bus
- Leonia Board of Education – one electric Type A school bus and one electric Type C school bus
- Weehawken Board of Education – one electric school bus
- West Orange/ Best Choice Transportation, West Orange – one electric school bus
- Delsea Regional School District – 10 electric school buses
ELECTRIC SHUTTLE BUSES:
- County of Somerset – one electric shuttle bus
- Borough of Wallington – one electric shuttle bus
- Princeton University – 11 electric shuttle buses
- Municipality of Princeton – two electric shuttle buses
- Coach USA, Trenton, Newark, Paterson, Elizabeth – 11 electric buses
ELECTRIC GARBAGE AND DUMP TRUCKS:
- Lawrence Township – two electric garbage trucks
- Manchester Township Department of Public Works – one electric garbage truck
- Waste Management of New Jersey, Inc., Ewing Township – two electric garbage trucks
- Collingswood, Camden County – one electric dump truck
- Hamilton Township, Mercer County – one electric dump truck
OTHER ELECTRIC ROAD EQUIPMENT:
- Borough of Highland Park – one heavy duty truck
- County of Warren – three electric trucks
- Bay Head Borough – one electric street sweeper
ELECTRIC NON-ROAD EQUIPMENT:
- Builders First Source, Gloucester City – four electric forklifts
ELECTRIC eMOBILITY PROGRAMS:
- Jersey City – 15 to 20 electric car chargers and two to four DC Fast Chargers, which will expand the VIA ride sharing program to all electric
- Zipcar, statewide – eight electric car sharing locations throughout the state
- Blink, statewide – One-way or round-trip electric vehicle car sharing services at subsidized rates in overburdened communities
- Envoy, Jersey City – two electric vehicles for car sharing service near affordable housing units in Jersey City
NJ Advance Media staff writers Brent Johnson and Steven Rodas contributed to this report.
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