New York Governor George Pataki announced Long Beach school district has received a $1.2-million grant to operate the first bus fleet in the state comprised entirely of natural gas-powered buses.
The money will be used to retrofit 18 of the of the Long Island district’s existing diesel-powered buses, purchase 20 new natural gas-powered buses, and develop a compressed natural gas fueling station.
“We’ve set the ambitious goal of making every new school bus in New York a clean-fuel vehicle and today’s announcement that Long Beach will become the first school district in New York to operate an entire fleet of clean-fuel school buses marks another milestone in that important effort,” Pataki said.
Currently 2,194 school buses in 74 districts in New York are in the process of being retrofitted with emission-reducing equipment through the state’s Clean Air School Bus Program.
