Investing in Clean Energy Infrastructure

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will strengthen our nation's energy infrastructure by establishing a nationwide electric vehicle (EV) network, investing in clean energy infrastructure, expanding zero-emission transportation, and high-speed rail. These investments will help produce more clean energy, create good-paying jobs, and lower costs for Americans.

Clean Buses and Facilities

The Low or No Emission (Bus) grant program provides funding to state and local governmental authorities to purchase or lease zero-emission and low-emission transit buses. The City of Fresno received $17 million to transition its bus fleet to energy-efficient and low-polluting transit buses. This grant will improve the service of the FAX system and ensure residents can access safe, clean, and affordable transportation services.

The Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Competitive Program makes federal resources available to states and directs recipients to replace, rehabilitate and purchase buses and related equipment and to construct bus-related facilities, including technological changes or innovations to modify low or no-emission vehicles or facilities. Through this grant program, we secured a $2.1 million federal grant for the Fresno County Rural Transit Agency (FCRTA) to advance the construction of a bus maintenance and operations facility in Selma, enhancing its maintenance capabilities and transition to a zero-emission fleet.

Clean School Buses

More than 25 million children ride the bus to school each day, some breathing polluted air from diesel school buses. This is the sad reality in my district's underserved communities like Orosi. That is why we secured over $2.3 million for Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified School District to help transition their school bus fleet to a clean, safe fleet for our students.

Additional school districts outside of CA-21 received funding to replace existing school buses with zero-emission and low-emission models, including:

Coalinga-Huron Unified School District: $51.1 million
Wasco Union Elementary School District: $1.1 million
Yosemite Unified School District: $3.95 million
Modesto City Elementary School District: $3.16 million
Atwater Elementary School District: $790,000

Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure

The U.S. market share of plug-in electric vehicle (EV) sales is only one-third the size of the Chinese EV market. The Infrastructure Law invests $7.5 billion to build the first-ever national network of EV chargers in the United States and is a critical element to accelerate the adoption of EVs to address the climate crisis and support domestic manufacturing jobs.

California will receive $384 million over five years to support the expansion of an EV charging network across the state. These funds will build on the state's efforts to complete a 6,600-mile statewide charging network and deploy 1.2 million chargers by 2030.

High-Speed Rail

The Infrastructure Law is investing in modern, sustainable public transportation, including high-speed rail. As part of the law, Costa’s bill, the High-Speed Rail Corridor Development Act was included, which has provided federal funding for the California High-Speed Rail project. So far, we have secured nearly $70 million through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity, or RAISE Discretionary Grant program for the following projects:

$20 million to restore downtown Fresno’s historic Southern Pacific train depot and create new plazas that will eventually tie in with California’s high-speed rail passenger station in Fresno. This station will serve as a hub, helping reconnect Chinatown, and southwest Fresno to the downtown core.
$25 million to help advance the 33.9-mile extension from Madera to downtown Merced, extending the high-speed rail line beyond the 119 miles currently under construction.
$24 million for crucial safety, efficiency, and construction projects along the City of Wasco and State Route 46, helping connect Wasco and Kern County communities to high-speed rail.

Ferry Boat Program

The Ferry Boat and Terminal Facilities Construction Program also called the Ferry Boat Program provides federal aid to local agencies and Tribes with publicly owned and/or operated ferry and ferry terminal facilities that provide substantial public benefit. The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $61, 831 for the construction of a Ferry Boats and Ferry Terminal Facilities in Visalia, California.

Clean Energy Infrastructure Funding Opportunities

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act provide $97 billion in federal funding to the U.S. Department of Energy to create new pathways for federal investments in research, development, and energy infrastructure programs. Learn more about funding opportunities by clicking HERE.