Maine communities continue to prioritize the health and safety of our residents through smart, bipartisan policymaking that benefits everyone. Fortunately, we are blessed with forward-thinking leaders and lawmakers like Sen. Susan Collins, who helped craft and pass last year’s bipartisan infrastructure law, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Passage of that landmark legislation helped create and fund the Environmental Protection Agency’s new Clean School Bus Program, which is allocating $5 billion over the next five years to help schools and school districts here in Maine and throughout the country upgrade and replace their aging fleets of school buses with newer, zero- and low-emissions vehicles. Just recently, Regional School Unit 57 became the proud recipient of a $790,000 grant through this innovative initiative.

Purchasing new, clean-energy-powered school buses will help schools in RSU 57 lower emissions to help lessen their environmental impact, protect the health of school bus drivers and our children and reduce maintenance and potentially even fuel costs. This is an ambitious effort and opportunity to observe the technological advances that have been made to help improve life in Maine communities while supporting the advancement of new clean-energy technology.

Congratulations to the schools throughout RSU 57 and thanks to Sen. Collins for continuing to support smart, bipartisan clean energy policies that help make our state a better place to live.

David Woodsome
Republican state senator
Waterboro

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