The Division of Air Quality (DAQ) will be awarding nearly $64 million to replace older diesel vehicles and install electric vehicle charging infrastructure throughout North Carolina.
DAQ is providing additional outreach and technical support to 37 counties to ensure more communities are able to apply for funding. This outreach program is designed to help counties that historically may not had the resources to effectively identify eligible projects for funding opportunities or to navigate the application process.
Project scoring priorities
Applications for eligible projects in the counties identified as Historically Under-Resourced may receive maximum funding amounts allowed and may also receive additional scoring points. Details are included in the RFPs are they released.
Please share this information with any community member or organization that may be interested in this funding opportunity.
Additional Information
- Alexander
- Anson
- Bertie
- Bladen
- Burke
- Caldwell
- Caswell
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Cumberland
- Duplin
- Edgecombe
- Graham
- Greene
- Halifax
- Hertford
- Hoke
- Hyde
- Lenoir
- Martin
- Nash
- Northampton
- Pasquotank
- Randolph
- Richmond
- Robeson
- Rockingham
- Rowan
- Rutherford
- Sampson
- Scotland
- Tyrrell
- Vance
- Warren
- Washington
- Wayne
- Wilson
Methodology
Historically Under-Resourced Counties are those identified as economically distressed with the highest percentages of underserved populations.
Underserved populations are those that meet certain racial and poverty criteria, as determined by the DEQ Environmental Justice Program.
Using economic criteria, a county’s economic distress is defined and ranked by the NC Department of Commerce (commonly referred to as “County Tiers”). Combining these two data sets, 37 Historically Under-Resourced Counties were selected as follows:
- List all counties with an underserved population greater than 15%.
- Remove from the list, any Tier 2 or Tier 3 counties (next and least distressed counties).
These counties may be eligible for the maximum funding amounts allowed by the Volkswagen Mitigation Consent Decree based on applicant and equipment/vehicle fuel types. The final list of counties was updated using new data from the 2020 Census. Priority will be given to applications in counties where an application was not submitted, or VW funding not awarded, in Phase 1.
Goals:
- To increase participation in counties unfunded in Phase 1 of the VW Settlement grant program in NC and increase awareness of funding opportunities for Phase 2 Requests for Proposals (RFPs).
- To provide historically under-resourced counties with the opportunity to apply for Phase 2 VW Settlement grant funding.
- To provide additional technical support and guidance for applicants from counties identified as historically under-resourced.
VW Phase 2 Historically Under Resourced County Outreach Program 04/13/2020
Download the presentation from the Historically Under-Resourced County Program Information Sessions.
Historically Under-Resourced County Program (PowerPoint)
Join our email distribution list to be notified of future program events, email daq.NC_VWGrants@ncdenr.gov with “Subscribe” in the subject line. For additional program information, visit us at the NC VW website.