Grants/financial assistance for clean diesel projects

The MPCA has worked with four different grants to reduce diesel vehicle emissions. Together, these state and federal grants and partnerships have helped reduce emissions on more than 3,000 diesel vehicles in Minnesota as of August 2012. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, for every dollar spent on diesel emissions reduction there is up to $13 in health benefits realized.

MPCA offers Clean  Diesel Grant funding — application deadline is extended to December 31, 2012

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency  is seeking new clean diesel grant project proposals for up to $113,600 in funding through its 2012-13 Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grant program. The MPCA’s goal in awarding these grants is to achieve diesel emission reductions in Minnesota by improving or replacing older diesel engines and equipment that still have a useful life.

Preference will be given to 2006 models or older, diesel equipment and vehicles operating in the Minneapolis-St. Paul seven-county metropolitan area. Preferred fleets include: Class 5 or larger heavy duty trucks including delivery trucks and refrigeration units on trailers and box trucks and trailers, private and public on-road and non-road construction equipment, non-emergency generators 100-500 hp, marine vessels and port equipment. Eligible technologies include idle reduction, emission reduction, engine repowers and engine replacement.

The request for proposals (RFP) was posted on the state’s SWIFT Supplier Portal on November 16, 2012 and the application deadline is extended to December 31, 2012.  Now, grant applications and awarding of grant contracts are all done online through the Supplier Portal.  Those interested in applying must have a SWIFT Vendor ID and Supplier Portal Account set up to apply. To register as a vendor/grant applicant, simply go to the Supplier Portal webpage (http://supplier.swift.state.mn.us) and click on the Vendor Registration Link. It can take up to four days to receive your vendor ID from SWIFT.  If you need assistance registering in the Supplier Portal so you can apply for a grant, you may contact the Minn. Dept. of Administration, Materials Management Division at 651-201-8100, option 1. Then follow the prompts to connect you to the correct contact person.  

For questions about the grant please contact grant administrator Sally Pinski at contracts.pca@state.mn.us (Subject line “CR5892 Clean Diesel”).

Active grants:

• Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA)
• Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Grants (public vehicles only)

Past grants:

• Clean Diesel Recovery Act Grant
• Minnesota State School Bus Grants

Five old Lunda Construction diesel cranes were repowered with new, Tier-3 engines.

Diesel engines have long been the workhorse of society because of their pulling power, superior efficiency and tremendous longevity. However, diesels contribute a disproportionate amount of harmful compounds and fine particulates that are known to cause or trigger health issues; including respiratory and cardiovascular problems and cancer.

The MPCA began working to reduce diesel emissions by retrofitting older school buses back in 2006 in partnership with Clean Air Minnesota and Project Green Fleet. The primary pollutant target has been fine particles, but depending on the technology other pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, hydro carbon and carbon monoxide are also reduced. Below is additional information about grants that the MPCA has used to reduce diesel pollution. Contact: Mark Sulzbach, 651-757-2770.

Active grant projects

Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grants

Airport snowplow with retrofitted diesel engine.  A grant was awarded to the Metropolitan Airport Commission to retrofit 40 ground support vehicles including this extra-wide snowplow.

This smaller federal grant to states began in 2008, focusing on school bus retrofits and loans for idle reduction technology devices on long-haul trucks. Recent projects include repowering five large cranes used for bridge construction and replacing six older beverage delivery trucks with new hybrid diesel-electric delivery trucks that operate in the Twin Cities metro area.

Each year a portion of DERA funds has gone towards retrofitting school buses but this effort is ending in 2013, because all 2007 and newer buses already have excellent emission control technology as standard equipment.  For long-haul trucks the MPCA offers low-interest loans through its Small Business Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) Loan Program. These 15-horsepower diesel generators or battery packs allow a truck driver to heat and cool a truck on overnight stays while saving money and fuel by not idling the large truck engine.

For information or to apply for an APU loan contact Mike Nelson 651-757-2121, with the MPCA's Small Business APU Loan Program.

Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grants

All eligible Saint Paul and Minneapolis fire trucks have been retrofit with reduced emission exhaust systems.

The federal CMAQ grant is focused on heavy-duty public diesel vehicles in the 7-county urban area of the Twin Cities metro. Vehicle types include snow plows, dump trucks, fire trucks and garbage trucks.

The program began in 2008 with a goal of 200 diesel oxidation catalyst retrofits. As of August 2012, the MPCA had secured 397 retrofits of state, city and county snowplows, dump trucks and garbage trucks. All eligible Minneapolis and Saint Paul City fire trucks have been retrofitted. In fact, there is enough funding to retrofit a few dump trucks and or fire trucks in severa; suburbs such as Roseville, Eagan, Maplewood, Bloomington and South St. Paul.

Past grants

Clean Diesel Recovery Act grant

Cliff Johnson, Monticello, was the first Clean Diesel Recovery Act Grant recipient in Minnesota. Cliff received funding for a much cleaner exhaust system on his trailer refrigeration unit.

The one-time federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA or Recovery Act) grant brought $1.53 million to Minnesota for reducing diesel emissions to small and large, public and private entities statewide, beginning in late 2009. Much of the funding was awarded to trucking companies. At current diesel prices this successful grant will save Minnesota long-haul trucking grantees more than $600,000 each year in fuel.

This clean diesel Recovery Act grant generated more than $2 million into the local economy for diesel equipment and installation, because of in-kind matching money from grantees. Sixty-eight grant projects reduced emissions on 282 vehicle engines.

Diesel vehicle projects included 155 auxiliary power units to reduce idling of long-haul trucks, 71 trailer refrigeration engine-repowers and seven main engine-repowers. It also included retrofitting emission controls on 49 fleet vehicles in construction, public and tribal fleets.

The grant began in 2009 and ended March 31, 2011. More information about it is available here: Clean Diesel Recovery Act Grant.

Minnesota state school bus grants

In 2006, the MPCA began retrofitting school buses with diesel oxidation catalyst mufflers, working in a close partnership with Clean Air Minnesota and the Minnesota Environmental Initiative to help launch Project Green Fleet.

In 2008, the Minnesota Legislature gave the MPCA $2.4 million for this important work.

About 1,500 school buses were retrofit with pollution reducing exhaust systems through state grant funding.  As of June 30, 2011, 2,751 Minnesota school buses have been retrofit overall from state and federal grants and some private funding. These reduce fine particle emissions by 20-25 percent.

According to the EPA, for every dollar spent on diesel emissions reduction there is up to $13 in health benefits.

More information is available about the school bus retrofit idle reduction effort and Project Green Fleet.