Event
March 16, 2021
Each year, the U.S. EPA Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) program allocates funds nationwide to implement projects aimed at reducing emissions from older diesel engines. In 2021, U.S. EPA anticipates awarding approximately $46 million in DERA grant funding to eligible applicants across the country. The maximum amount of federal funding that may be requested per application varies by region. Tennessee applicants fall into EPA Region 4 and are eligible to request up to $2 million in grant funds per project. Eligible applicants include:
- Regional, State, local, or tribal agencies/consortia or port authorities with jurisdiction over transportation or air quality;
- Nonprofit organizations or institutions that represent or provide pollution reduction or educational services to persons or organizations that own or operate diesel fleets or have the promotion of transportation or air quality as their principal purpose; and
- School districts, municipalities, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), cities, and counties, to the extent that they fall within the bulleted definitions above.
Grant funds may be used for clean diesel projects such as EPA- and/or CARB-verified technologies or certified engine retrofits; idle-reduction technologies; aerodynamic technologies and low-rolling resistance tires; and engine, vehicle, or equipment replacements. Eligible diesel vehicles, engines, and equipment include school buses; Class 5-8 heavy-duty highway vehicles; locomotive engines; marine engines; and non-road equipment used in construction, handling of cargo, agriculture, mining, or energy production. Replacement projects can include the replacement of highway and non-road diesel vehicles/equipment with new, cleaner diesel, hybrid, or alternative fuel vehicles/equipment (alternative fuels including compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, propane, or zero tailpipe emissions technologies such as battery or fuel cell vehicles where applicable). Funds under this program cannot be used to fund emission reductions mandated by federal law.
Applications for the Clean Diesel National Grants are due to U.S. EPA by March 16. U.S. EPA will be holding a series of informational webinars on January 26 at 1:00 PM Eastern, February 3 at 3:00 PM Eastern, and February 11 at 2:00 PM Eastern. To apply, visit https://www.epa.gov/dera/national. For more information on the National Clean Diesel campaign, visit https://www.epa.gov/dera. To view the full Request For Applications, click here.