Grand Canyon Times

WASHINGTON - $27,570,004 will be invested in Arizona for a new fleet of electric vehicles from the bipartisan infrastructure law led by Senator Kyrsten Sinema and shaped by Senator Mark Kelly.

The funds will be used to replace Grand Canyon National Park’s aging bus fleet with new battery electric buses (BEB) and compressed natural gas (CNG) buses – accelerating Arizona’s clean energy economy.

“The Grand Canyon is one of Arizona’s stunning natural wonders – and we have an obligation to protect and preserve its beauty for generations to come. This historic funding made possible by our bipartisan infrastructure law represents an important step towards a cleaner, healthier, safer Grand Canyon National Park for the millions of Arizonans and tourists who visit every year,” said Sinema, co-author and lead negotiator of the bipartisan infrastructure law.

“Our bipartisan infrastructure law is making historic investments in Arizona’s clean energy economy—creating jobs and improving air quality,” said Kelly. “Upgrading Grand Canyon National Park’s bus fleet will reduce pollution and enhance visitors’ experience of Arizona’s busiest park.”

The investment was awarded through the Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects Program, which was bolstered significantly in Sinema and Kelly’s infrastructure law to include more resources for Tribal transportation projects.

The bipartisan infrastructure law makes the largest investment in clean energy transmission and electric vehicle infrastructure in U.S. history, electrifying thousands of school and transit buses across the country, bolstering critical materials supply chains, improving energy efficiency, and building out a national network of electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

Sinema led bipartisan Senate negotiations with Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio that included Senator Kelly and senators from both parties.

The bipartisan infrastructure law was supported by groups including The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Business Roundtable, The National Association of Manufacturers, The AFL-CIO, The National Retail Federation, The Bipartisan Policy Center, North America’s Building Trades Unions, the Outdoor Industry Association, The American Hotel and Lodging Association, The National Education Association, as well as hundreds of mayors across all 50 states. 

Original source can be found here.