The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) is accepting grant applications to fund projects that will reduce emissions from diesel engines.
More than $1 million is available to fund eligible projects through the Mobile Source Diesel Emission Reduction grant program. These annual grants support a wide range of projects, including the replacement of school buses, nonroad construction and agricultural equipment, heavy-duty on-road vehicles and locomotives with new, clean equipment and vehicles.
Projects to replace diesel vehicles with electric vehicles receive bonus points during the scoring process. Bonus points are also available to projects in environmental justice communities or historically under-resourced counties, as well as to projects submitted by minority-owned or women-owned businesses.
Businesses and organizations from the public and private sector are eligible to apply. Applications must be submitted through DAQ’s online Grant Management System no later than 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 14, 2022, to be considered. To guarantee enough time to apply, new users to the Grants Management System should request online access before Oct. 31, 2022.
The 2022 Diesel Emissions Reduction grant program is funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) program. The purpose of DERA funding is to support projects designed to achieve significant diesel emissions reductions. These include emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter.
Awards from the 2021 Diesel Emission Reduction grant program funded the replacement of 11 vehicles, reducing estimated emissions of NOx by 23.5 tons over their lifetimes.
Information regarding project eligibility, how to request access to the DAQ Grant Management System, and how to register for a Sept. 28, 2022, informational webinar are on the Division’s website. For more information about the Mobile Sources Diesel Emissions Reduction grant program, please email daq.mscb.ncdaqgrants@ncdenr.gov.