TCEQ ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF $24 MILLION FOR NGV GRANTS

Last week, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) announced that it is making available up to $24 million in grant funding to encourage the replacement or repower of medium or heavy duty motor vehicles with NGVs or repowered natural gas engines. The Texas Natural Gas Vehicle Grant Program (TNGVGP) is part of the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP). In order to receive a grant, an applicant must work with a “participating dealer” who is under contract with the TCEQ. Eligibility for funding is based on the demonstrating compliance with low emission levels or at least a reduction of 25 percent in nitrogen oxides (NOX) emissions in the case of retrofits or repowers. Heavy duty engines must have been certified by EPA to meet or exceed 0.2 g/bhp-hr of NOx. Medium duty passenger vehicles must be certified to EPA Bin 5 or lower and have NOx emissions of 0.07 g/mi or better. Completed heavy duty natural gas vehicles weighing 8,501–14,000 pounds GVWR must meet or exceed EPA standards for such vehicles (0.2 g/mi NOx for 8,501–10,000 lbs. GVWR, and 0.4 g/mi NOx for 10,001–14,000 lbs. GVWR). The TCEQ website includes a list of qualifying engines and vehicles as well as participating dealers. Grants will pay up to 90 percent of the incremental cost. Eligibility also requires that the vehicles are operated in one or more of the eligible counties. According to the TCEQ notice, applications will be accepted up until May 31, 2015, or until all funding is awarded. Information about the program is available at: http://www.tceq.texas.gov/airquality/terp/ tngvgp_grantees.html.