Alt Fuel Vehicle Grant Funding

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Bill Van Amburg

Senior Vice President

Jasna Tomic, PhD

New Fuels Program Mngr

Agenda

Background CALSTART Start with a Plan – NOT the Funds!

Outline your Project First Develop Relationships – Before you Need

Money! Work your Partners

Learn the Rules Seek Funding – from multiple sources

Success Story Summary Resources

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CALSTART

CALSTART is a unique national, non-profit, advanced transportation technologies organization.

Founded in 1992 as a public-private partnership to launch and grow a clean transportation industry.

Mission: via programs and services support and expand the growth of a clean transportation technologies industry that will:

Create high-quality jobs; Clean the air; Reduce dependence on foreign oil; and Reduce global warming emissions

CALSTART Unique Position: Supports All Clean Fuels/Tech (partial member list)

          

Don’t Do This!

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$$$

Chasing the Funding is NOT a Fleet Plan!

Start With a Plan

Step 1: Baseline Fleet

Step 2: Learn your fuel & tech options

Step 3: Compare options to fleet mix

– geography, operation

Step 4: Outline alt fuel implementation plan over several

years

Step 5: Understand cost and then seek

funding

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Clear Goals Boost Chances of Success

FedEx Example: Corporate Objective - 20% fuel economy

improvement by 2020 Actual - 15.1%

February 29, 2012 Cleaner Truck Early Adopter Panel7

Develop Relationships

You are doing some of that today! Contact and talk with fleet peers who have

gotten funding What has worked Traps to avoid

Contact, talk with and join organizations that can help you identify and meet funders Local NAFA Chapters; Clean Cities; Diesel

Emission Reduction Collaboratives; CALSTART

Call – and if possible meet with – your local, regional and state funders

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Possible Funding Sources

Now you have a plan and know the cost - can present to management

Total Cost and Outside Funding Help Know what your project needs to succeed, and of

what type (vehicle; infrastructure; etc) Seek additional funding from multiple sources

Federal DOE; Clean Cities; EPA Regions; DERA; FTA

State Alt Fuel Solicitations (ex: NYSERDA's AFV) CMAQ solicitations every 2 years State Energy Commission, State DOT

Regional Transportation Manag. Org. -TMO Air Quality Management District 9

Trends in Funding

Generally there is LESS at all levels (with some exceptions)

Federal grant funding programs are shrinking or disappearing

Federal alt fuel incentive programs are “sunsetting” and not being reapproved

State budgets are tight Regional and local funds – air, congestion –

often still available High competition – So you need to have your

goals clear – nothing sells like a clear plan

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What Are the Incentives?One Resource

11http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/laws/matrix/tech

Funding Considerations Timing

When does the funding become available? How many times per year are there opportunities?

Grant or Funding Rules Do you have to replace older vehicles? Is there a

limit on what is covered? Are you eligible? Can you work with someone who is?

Proposal or Application – how long will it take to do this? (Hint: longer than you think!)

Contracts – how complex? Will company sign? Who Else in Your Organization should be

Involved? – Facilities? Legal? Reporting – Build in time going forward 12

Central Source – Once Grants Announced

www.grants.gov

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Timely Example: Diesel Emission Reduction Grant Solicitation Active

14http://epa.gov/cleandiesel/prgnational.htm

National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance

Amount: $20M nationwide Solicitation opened: April 20, 2012 Proposals due: June 4, 2012 (45 days) What’s allowed:

Competitive grants to fund projects that reduce emissions from existing diesel engines through a variety of strategies. These strategies include, but are not limited to, emission control and idle reduction technologies; cleaner fuels; engine upgrades or replacements; and/or vehicle or equipment replacements.

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National Clean Diesel Funding

Restrictions: Under this grant program, funding is restricted

to the use of technologies, fuels, and engines that have been verified or certified by EPA or California Air Resources Board (CARB).

Eligible entities: tribes, non-profits, MPOs, municipalities (private fleets can be part of a proposal)

Limits on amounts that can be used for different approaches – 25% of cost of new vehicle; 100% of cost of eligible retrofit; must “retire” (with extreme prejudice) vehicles replaced

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Funding Success Story: Why not an Electric School Bus?

John Clement, Director of TransportationKings Canyon Unified School District

KCUSD Did its Homework – Made a Plan

No Diesel Fuel at nearly $4.00 per gallon No Oil Changes or Oil Filters No Transmission Fluid Flushes & Filters Transmission Fluid - $1,400 per barrel Rising cost of CNG Engine Parts & Repair Already Plugging in DPFs to Electricity

Available Funding to KCUSD - They Looked to Mix and Match Funding

Lower Emissions School Bus Program SB 923 – Local Air District Other Local Air District Funds – White Fleet ARB Air Quality Improvement Program –

Hybrid Voucher Incentive Program CMAQ – Congestion Mitigation and Air

Quality Funds Fresno County Measure “C” - School Bus

You can pursue and match multiple sources, but check the rules – some grants limit total funds allowed; some can only be used for specific purposes; some federal funds cannot be matched with other federal funds

So this is how is the 1st KCUSD eTrans Was Funded $140,000 LESBP $15,000 SB923 $40,000 ARB AQIP HVIP in 2012 = $20,000

base + $10,000 for School Bus + $10,000 1st one of three in 2012

$20,000 San Joaquin Valley Air District HVIP Match

$15,000 from General Fund CBO KCUSD

Then: they remembered to thank their funders – and include them in all press and announcements, and roll outs. This is more than just filing reports and meeting the letter of the grant – it’s creating a “win-win” for all involved

Did it Work?

Nearly $500,000 in Funding Awarded to Deploy Two More eTrans and arriving KCUSD Hybrid School Buses in a Loaner Program in the San Joaquin Valley

ARB AB 118 AQIP Hybrid/Electric School Bus Demonstration Project

And He is Planning More!

Other Electric Vehicle School Uses

Grant Preparation Tips

Have a clear vision of what YOU want But – understand what the FUNDER wants

and is allowed to pay you for Write to the grant criteria – show how you will

meet their goals Less is more – be concise and to the point –

say exactly what you will do and what its benefits are (not how great you are)

Don’t be greedy – how can you be competitive within your project plan – you may not need all the money offered

Assume this takes more time than you think!23

Summary

Know what you want to do: Start with a Plan Develop Relationships with potential partners,

funders in advance Understand the restrictions and different uses

of funding sources Seek Funding – often takes multiple sources Build in enough time during and after

proposing – it’s another asset to manage Exhale! – it can be done and generally

funders want you to succeed – it’s a win for them, too (don’t forget to thank them!)

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Resources to Learn About Funding

Grants.gov – Listing of ALL current federal grants available – but can be confusing

Alternative Fuels & Advanced Vehicle Data Center - US DOE http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/laws/matrix/tech

National Clean Diesel Campaign (NCDC) – EPA http://epa.gov/diesel/

Clean Cities – DOE http://www1.eere.energy.gov/cleancities/index.html

Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) http://www.propanecouncil.org/

National Biodiesel Board www.biodiesel.org NGVC http://www.ngvc.org/about_ngv/index.html EDTA http://www.electricdrive.org NTEA http://www.ntea.com/index.aspx CALSTART www.calstart.org

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Thank you

Please complete and submit your evaluation forms!

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Oil Prices – Not Getting Better

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