DIAMOND BAR, Calif. - As the height of smog season in the Southland draws to a close, one local agency is continuing its mission to improve local air quality with two new funding opportunities. The Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) is offering millions of dollars in Clean Transportation Funding for the purchase of natural gas urban buses and for the construction and upgrade of alternative fuel facilities, all located within the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
The first of these Clean Transportation Funding programs makes $2 million available to heavy-duty urban transit bus owner-operators to purchase qualified new natural gas transit buses or to re-power natural gas transit buses already in use. An owner-operator could receive up to $20,000 in incentives per bus to purchase new or re-power existing natural gas buses that are eligible under this program.
Another MSRC program is offering $3.5 million to assist eligible applicants with the construction, upgrade, and expansion of alternative fuel infrastructure. The types of alternative fuels applicable under this program are compressed and/or liquefied natural gas, hydrogen, and hydrogen/natural gas blends. Entities eligible to apply for funding include, infrastructure developers and alternative fuel providers, public and private fleet operators, owners of existing refueling stations, and school districts.
"Continuing to invest in alternative fuels is more critical than ever," said MSRC Chair Gwenn Norton-Perry. "Communities across the Southland are benefiting from the resulting cleaner air and fuel savings, while the quality of the engines and vehicles continues to deliver improved performance and reliability as well."
The applications for the natural gas urban transit bus program can be submitted to the MSRC beginning November 7, 2006, and the final date for submission is January 19, 2007. A voluntary bidders conference will take place on November 1, 2006 at the South Coast Air Quality Management District headquarters. Applications for the alternative fuel infrastructure program can be submitted beginning November 1, 2006, and must be in by May 25, 2007. The bidders conference for this program will be held on October 25, 2006. Funding for each program is available on a first-come, first-served basis for qualifying projects.
The MSRC also announced plans for its 2006-2007 work program that will involve implementing additional programs over the next several months, including $3 million in incentives to purchase CNG school buses, $1 million for a demonstration project for diesel emission control systems on off-road construction equipment, $1.5 million in incentives for advanced CNG engines for vehicles engaged in goods movement, and $200,000 to update the BikeMetro website. For more information about the natural gas urban transit bus program and the alternative fuel infrastructure program and to download the program announcements, please visit the MSRC's website at www.CleanTransportationFunding.org, or call the MSRC at (909) 396-3269.
The first of these Clean Transportation Funding programs makes $2 million available to heavy-duty urban transit bus owner-operators to purchase qualified new natural gas transit buses or to re-power natural gas transit buses already in use. An owner-operator could receive up to $20,000 in incentives per bus to purchase new or re-power existing natural gas buses that are eligible under this program.
Another MSRC program is offering $3.5 million to assist eligible applicants with the construction, upgrade, and expansion of alternative fuel infrastructure. The types of alternative fuels applicable under this program are compressed and/or liquefied natural gas, hydrogen, and hydrogen/natural gas blends. Entities eligible to apply for funding include, infrastructure developers and alternative fuel providers, public and private fleet operators, owners of existing refueling stations, and school districts.
"Continuing to invest in alternative fuels is more critical than ever," said MSRC Chair Gwenn Norton-Perry. "Communities across the Southland are benefiting from the resulting cleaner air and fuel savings, while the quality of the engines and vehicles continues to deliver improved performance and reliability as well."
The applications for the natural gas urban transit bus program can be submitted to the MSRC beginning November 7, 2006, and the final date for submission is January 19, 2007. A voluntary bidders conference will take place on November 1, 2006 at the South Coast Air Quality Management District headquarters. Applications for the alternative fuel infrastructure program can be submitted beginning November 1, 2006, and must be in by May 25, 2007. The bidders conference for this program will be held on October 25, 2006. Funding for each program is available on a first-come, first-served basis for qualifying projects.
The MSRC also announced plans for its 2006-2007 work program that will involve implementing additional programs over the next several months, including $3 million in incentives to purchase CNG school buses, $1 million for a demonstration project for diesel emission control systems on off-road construction equipment, $1.5 million in incentives for advanced CNG engines for vehicles engaged in goods movement, and $200,000 to update the BikeMetro website. For more information about the natural gas urban transit bus program and the alternative fuel infrastructure program and to download the program announcements, please visit the MSRC's website at www.CleanTransportationFunding.org, or call the MSRC at (909) 396-3269.