PROMOTING CLEAN FUEL VEHICLES, EMISSION SAVINGS AND CLEAN AIR FOR MAINE

Electric Vehicle News: Incentives and Available Funding Opportunities

Electric Vehicle Incentives Available Now Are you interested in leasing or purchasing an EV? Well good news, there are several incentives available to help make the switch! All manufacturer rebates can be paired with Efficiency Maine rebates, meaning EVs are more affordable than ever before! Click here to see which rebate you qualify for and a list of participating dealerships. Government entities can receive a $12,000 rebate, so now is the time to electrify your fleet vehicles! Act fast because the Chevy Bolt incentives are only available until March 31st. Please let us know if you have any questions and if you are interested in EVs for your municipal fleet please contact us.

Available Manufacturer Incentives

Funding for Public EV Charging Stations in Hancock County and Blue Hill Peninsula  A Climate to Thrive (ACTT) is launching a new program to fund public electric vehicle charging stations in Hancock County and on the Blue Hill peninsula. ACTT will award grants of up to $5,000 to enable municipalities, non-profits, schools and businesses to purchase and install public EV chargers. Municipalities and non-profits are encouraged to apply for these grants as soon as possible, as funds are limited. For more information, click here! "This is a way to move the needle on carbon emissions. EVs are clean transportation and give us a way to lower carbon emissions in our own communities. More public chargers in this area will make owning and using an EV much easier and more convenient, and that will hopefully encourage more people to go electric." – Private funder of program

2021 Diesel Emission Reduction Act National Grants: Request for Applications (RFA) EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality is soliciting applications for projects that achieve significant reductions in diesel emissions from heavy-duty vehicles. Eligible costs covered include a share of the cost of electric vehicles, equipment and engine replacement projects, and installation of one charging unit per vehicle! For example, there is a 55% cost share for zero emission vehicles, meaning the grant can cover 45% of the cost of an electric school bus. The RFA can be found here, applications are due by March 16th. Let us know if you have any questions, we are more than happy to assist with applications!

Photo Credit: Peggy Fox.

Drive Electric Maine: Program Strategy for 2021 The Drive Electric Maine coalition is an impactful stakeholder group that has the capacity to organize action among participants and strategically advocate for key solutions. This year, the group will use quarterly meetings to identify needs for rapidly scaling electrification of vehicles in Maine, collaborate with the state on implementation, support the electrification workforce, and uplift equity considerations in electric transportation. Our first quarterly meeting of 2021 will be held on March 11th at 3pm, if you are interested in joining the group reach out to [email protected].

Did you miss the electric vehicle Superbowl commercial? No worries, check it out here! General Motors announced they will have 30 new EV models by 2025 and will phase out internal combustion engine and go all-electric by 2035 for light duty vehicles. In order to catch up to Norway, we will need to ramp up consumer education and public awareness to encourage EV adoption. Let's do this, Maine!

Photo Credit: General Motors (GM).

Women in Clean Energy On behalf of the C3E Women in Clean Energy Initiative, we are excited to share that nominations for the annual C3E Awards in clean energy are open through February 25. The annual U.S. Clean Energy Education and Empowerment (C3E) Awards help to raise the visibility of women in the clean energy sector. The Awards honor mid-career leadership and achievement—and boost recipients’ careers. Nominate a woman for the 2021 C3E Awards today, and together we can raise women’s visibility and increase diversity in clean energy.

Photo Credit: Women in Solar Energy (WISE).

Maine Clean Communities is administered by the Greater Portland Council of Governments [email protected] 207-664-8414  970 Baxter Blvd. Suite 201 Portland, ME 04103

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