Funding Opportunity: ALT Fuels Colorado AFV Grant Program

As part of the ALT Fuels Colorado program, the Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) is requesting applications to fund fleet purchases of alternative fuel vehicles (AFV) to improve air quality and incentivize the wide-spread, early adoption of these vehicles in the Colorado Front Range. AFVs under this application include new OEM CNG and CNG bi-fuel vehicles, as well as other AFVs. Funding for AFV purchases is available for public, non-profit and private fleets operating within Colorado’s ozone nonattainment and carbon monoxide maintenance areas. A map of eligible areas can be found here.

ALT Fuels Colorado is funded through the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) program and is implemented in partnership with the Colorado Energy Office (CEO), the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA). Under this four-year, $30 million initiative, CEO will administer $15 million for alternative fuel stations and RAQC will administer $15 million for AFVs. The RAQC is in the second year of program implementation. $4 million will be available for vehicles in this funding year.  More information on CEO’s infrastructure funding can be found here.

To complement the CMAQ effort, additional funding for alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure may be available for fleets in Colorado through DOLA’s Impact Assistance Program. Entities eligible for DOLA funding include municipalities, counties and special districts. Inside the RAQC’s ALT Fuels Colorado program area, eligible fleets may be able to apply to DOLA to cover the matching funds required through the RAQC process. DOLA is also incentivizing the purchase of AFVs for eligible fleets located outside the ALT Fuels Colorado program area. More information on DOLA’s vehicle and infrastructure funding can be found here.

In addition, Noble Energy is providing funding for CNG school buses for school districts in the ozone nonattainment area. School districts interested in this funding must first apply to RAQC’s ALT Fuels Colorado. More information on Noble’s program may be found here. In tandem, the RAQC, CEO, DOLA, and Noble programs will work toward ensuring a comprehensive approach to advancing AFV in the State of Colorado.

The ALT Fuels Colorado, Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) Grant Program Application Guide is designed to lead participants through RAQC’s funding process. The guide can be found here. Applicants may submit written clarification questions to Kaylyn Bopp at kbopp@raqc.org or 303.629.5450 ext. 290 until October 16, 2015 5:00 PM MST. The RAQC will post questions and answers to its website www.cleanairfleets.org.