The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) today is releasing requests for proposals (RFPs) for two grant programs aimed at reducing air pollution from the transportation sector: One for electric vehicle chargers and another for clean vehicle replacements.
Applications for the 2024 Mobile Sources Emissions Reductions Grant will be accepted through Dec. 31, 2024. More than $1.1 million is available to fund projects that will reduce emissions from diesel engines, including the replacement or repowering of school buses, nonroad construction and agricultural equipment, heavy-duty on-road vehicles, and locomotives with new, clean equipment and vehicles.
Additionally, DAQ is making available $1.8 million from unspent N.C. Volkswagen Settlement funds for a new Community and Destination Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program. These grants will help install DC Fast and Level 2 EV charging stations across the state. Applications are due Jan. 31, 2025.
Both of these grants will fund projects that will reduce harmful air pollution from the transportation sector, including nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), and greenhouse gases.
Projects in western North Carolina counties impacted by Hurricane Helene are encouraged to apply, and bonus points are available to applications for projects located in an area covered by a federal disaster declaration.
Mobile Sources Emissions Reductions Grant
DAQ administers the Mobile Sources Emissions Reductions Grant each year to fund the replacement of older diesel vehicles with cleaner alternatives. Any business or organization in the public or private sector operating in North Carolina is eligible to apply.
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 woman-owned businesses.
DAQ will hold two information webinars to assist applicants. Registration is required. Learn more on DAQ’s website.
This 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 NOx and PM.
Community & Destination Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program
DAQ is leveraging unspent funding from the N.C. Volkswagen Settlement to enhance community and destination electric vehicle charging options across the state. This grant aims to increase the use of clean zero-emission vehicles in place of gas-powered cars and improve air quality.
Awards will be made to charging sites for the installation of one to four new DC Fast charging ports. Sites optionally may include up to eight Level 2 charging ports. All funded chargers must be accessible to the public.
Maximum funding amounts are based on the capacity of the chargers and location. While both public and private entities may apply, projects on non-government-owned property require a cost share of at least 20%.
Applications that use Renewable Energy Certificates and projects in historically under-resourced counties receive bonus points during application scoring. Projects will also be scored based on environmental justice, cost effectiveness, and the distance from North Carolina’s designated Alternative Fuel Corridors. Projects in rural counties also score higher than those in suburban or urban counties.
While the RFP is available now, applications will be accepted from Nov. 15, 2024, through Jan. 31, 2025. DAQ will hold two information webinars to assist applicants. Registration is required. Learn more on DAQ’s website.
This grant program is funded by the state’s share of the national Volkswagen settlement. The N.C. Volkswagen Settlement Program across two phases has distributed more than $92 million for clean vehicle replacements and EV charging infrastructure. DAQ has allocated the full 15% allowed in the Volkswagen State Trust Agreement for zero-emission vehicle charging infrastructure projects, including Level 2 and DC Fast chargers.