🔒Proposal to let CT school districts use hybrid, propane buses draws environmental pushback

A proposal before the Connecticut General Assembly would give school districts more flexibility to meet the state’s clean bus requirements, though environmental advocates say the change would undermine the push toward fully electric school buses. House Bill 5470, which is set for a public hearing Thursday before the Energy and Technology Committee, would rewrite the state’s school bus emissions law to allow districts to use hybrid or alternative-fuel buses — including those powered by propane, natural gas, hydrogen or biofuels — to satisfy a 2040 clean-fleet deadline. Under current state law, passed in 2022, Connecticut requires all school buses serving environmental justice communities to be fully electric by 2030. The entire statewide fleet must shift to zero-emission or alternative-fuel buses by 2035, and every school bus in the state must be fully electric by 2040. The bill would coalesce those milestones into a single deadline: By 2040, all school buses would need to be zero-emission, alternative-fuel or hybrid vehicles. It would also eliminate the requirement that districts in environmental justice communities make the switch first. The measure was raised by the committee, which is co-chaired by Sen. Norm Needleman and Rep. Jonathan Steinberg. The Alternative Fuels Coalition of Connecticut testified in support of the bill, with Director of Government Affairs Mike Morrissey calling it a way to give communities more affordable choices. Morrissey said more than 700 propane-powered school buses are already operating in Connecticut and have been for more than 15 years. Nationally, more than 22,000 propane school buses are in service, he said. Propane buses don’t require the special grant funding that electric buses depend on, he said, adding that current law effectively phases them out after 2040. “Many communities cannot afford more expensive electric buses which require special grant funding,” Morrissey said in written testimony. But the Conservation Law Foundation, a regional environmental nonprofit, urged the committee to reject the bill, calling it a significant step backward. In testimony submitted by staff attorney Rachel Briggs, the group argued that electric buses produce far less pollution over their lifetimes than any alternative. CLF cited research showing that propane and natural gas school buses generate more than 800 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions over their lifetimes, while electric buses cut those emissions by more than 80%. CLF also pushed back against removing the environmental justice provisions, noting that communities of color in the Northeast face roughly 30% more pollution from transportation than other communities. Vehicle exhaust contributes to asthma and other respiratory problems, the group said, and prioritizing electric buses in those areas first is critical. “Walking back our targets is not the answer,” CLF wrote. “Instead, the legislature should build on existing state funding and support programs.” If passed, the bill would take effect Oct. 1.