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A Message from the
Executive Director
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I would like to thank everyone that attended the GWRCCC Virtual Spring Policy Series. We covered topics related to funding for fleets, climate solutions, equity, and the impact of vehicle electrification on the grid in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
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Tour of Colonial Bus Company
(l-r) Don Combs, Luis MacDonald, Antoine M. Thompson, Janet Hall, and Craig Combs
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GWRCC Hosts EV Road Trip Event Across America in DC
(l-r) Daphne Dixon, Live Green, Antoine M. Thompson, Sheryl Ponds, Diatech,
Kim Wallace, Ayesha Johnson, and
Alyssa Murphy
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GWRCCC would like your help as we gather input on our constituent’s level of interest for electric vehicles. We greatly appreciate your time to complete our 30 second survey which will help us better educate and advocate for electric vehicle infrastructure, programs and initiatives in the Greater Washington Region and the nation.
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EPA's Clean School Bus Program |
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Authorized by the recently signed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA’s Clean School Bus Program provides $5 billion over the next five years to replace school buses with low- and zero-emission school buses. The first funding opportunity under this program will be the 2022 Clean School Bus Rebates. EPA will offer $500 million for zero-emission and clean school bus rebates. |
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· Who is eligible?
· What school districts are prioritized?
· What is the selection process?
· Which school buses are eligible for rebates?
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Please note that due to ongoing program development, not all program details may be available at this time. Thank you for your patience and understanding. |
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Get Ready: Sign-up for a SAM.gov Account Now!
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Every applicant organization must have an active System for Award Management (SAM) entity registration. An entity registration is different from an individual user account on SAM.gov. Please check to ensure your organization is registered in SAM.gov and that the registration has not expired. Note: Only Electronic Business (and alternates) and Government Business (and alternates) Points of Contacts (POC) listed under an active SAM.gov entity registration will be able to create, edit, save, and submit online Clean School Bus Rebate applications.
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DOE Announces $59 Million to Expand Biofuels Production and Decarbonize Transportation Sector |
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June 6, 2022
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $59 million to accelerate the production of biofuels and bioproducts to reduce emissions in hard-to-decarbonize sectors and create good-paying jobs in rural America. DOE is focused on applied research, development, and deployment to improve the performance and reduce the cost of biofuel production technologies and scale-up production systems in partnership with industry. By reducing costs and technical risks, these efforts can help pave the way for the biofuels industry to deploy commercial-scale integrated biorefineries. The breakthroughs from this funding will support President Biden’s and DOE’s goals of advancing the use of bioenergy, achieving cost-competitive biofuels, and reaching a net-zero carbon economy by 2050.
“Energy harnessed from plants and waste presents a huge opportunity to reduce emissions from hard-to-decarbonize sectors such as aviation, rail, and shipping, while supporting high-quality jobs across rural America,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “DOE’s investment in biofuels is a key component of the Biden Administration’s effort to support clean energy technologies that increase our energy independence and move us closer to a net-zero carbon economy.”
Marine and aviation sectors require higher energy densities to avoid frequent stops to refuel for long flights, international shipping routes, and cross-country rail routes, making these industries hard to decarbonize. Electrification is currently unable to meet these requirements, but sustainable, energy-dense, liquid biofuels are becoming a strong alternative to address these needs.
The “Scale-Up of Integrated Biorefineries” funding opportunity announcement (FOA) will advance biorefinery development and feedstocks improvement projects in alignment with a broader DOE strategy to support biorefinery projects that can produce sustainable renewable diesel and aviation, marine, and rail fuel at every stage of development. Fostering innovation from the lab to the market helps develop biofuel technologies on a production scale and create economic incentives for companies to adopt them.
The funding also supports DOE’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge goal of enabling the production of three billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel annually by 2030 and 35 billion gallons annually by 2050 enough to meet 100% of U.S. aviation fuel demand. This is the second in a series of “Scale-Up” FOAs. In September 2021, DOE awarded $64 million to 22 projects focused on developing technologies and processes that produce low-cost, low-carbon biofuels. This FOA is expected to fund between four and 20 projects.
Applicants of the Scale-Up of Integrated Biorefineries FOA must submit a concept paper by 5:00 pm EST on or before July 8, 2022, to be eligible to submit a full application. To apply, applicants must register with and submit application materials through a DOE online application portal at https://eere-Exchange.energy.gov. An informational webinar for potential applicants will be held on June 15, 2022, at 3:00 pm EST. The full solicitation is also available on Grants.gov.
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The Department of Energy's (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) as $17.7 billion in loan authority to support the manufacture of eligible light-duty vehicles and qualifying components under the ATVM, authorized by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Read DOE's two-page fact sheet for an overview of how LPO can finance auto manufacturing projects here.
As part of its University Transportation Centers (UTC) program, the USDOT is seeking applications from universities for up to 35 UTC awards, with total funding of $450 million from 2022 through 2026. Only U.S. non-profit institutions of higher education are eligible to apply or to be members of a proposed UTC consortium. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is open now through August 25th, 2022
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021 authorizes EPA to offer rebates to replace existing school buses with clean and zero-emission models. The program guidance and application process differ from prior EPA school bus rebate programs in many ways, so please review the summary of program requirements here before proceeding. Applications are due on August 19th, 2022.
Current Federal and State RFIs, RFNs, and ROIs
*Deadline for comments extended to July 1st!* The Draft Scoping Plan, approved New York State's Climate Action Council, lays out the recommended policies and actions to help the state meet its ambitious climate directives as part of the CLCPA. Submit your comments at the link above, and you can view the Draft Scoping Plan in its entirety here.
The activities to be funded under this anticipated FOA will support the government-wide approach to the climate crisis by advancing RDD&D in several areas critical to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, including: advancement of electric drive technologies, reduction of weight of battery electric vehicle (BEV) technologies, and deployment of these technologies among diverse communities.
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Click here to register and for more information.
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Sponsorship Opportunities! |
GWRCCC is seeking your help and support. Click here to review the Sponsorship Opportunities. |
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June 14
Planning for Clean Pupil Transportation Webinar
Join us on June 14th at 1:00 PM EST for an informational webinar on what to consider when preparing for electric school buses.
With an influx of funding opportunities for electric school buses, we want to make sure that folks are up to speed as they begin to consider electrifying their school bus fleet. We will be hearing from experts in fleet and school bus electrification as well as a school district who has first hand experience operating electric school buses in their fleet.
Our speakers will include:
- Chuck Feinberg, Executive Director, New Jersey Clean Cities Coalition
- Howard Harris, Jr., Sr. Consultant, Clean Transportation, VEIC
- Claire Alford, Associate, Market Development, Highland
- Albert Burleigh, Executive Director, EV Business Development, Blue Bird
- Deborah Coles, Director of Transportation, Safety, and Security, Louisa County VA Public Schools
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Press Release
New Study Shows Opportunity to Address Health Inequities
in EJ Communities
Analysis provides further evidence of biodiesel's health benefits, down to neighborhood level
JEFFERSON CITY, MO - What’s good for the earth is often good for its human occupants, too. That’s the message from Clean Fuels Alliance America as it releases the results of Phase 2 of a groundbreaking study on the air quality benefits of biodiesel – especially in the context of underserved Environmental Justice communities.
The latest study from Trinity Consultants, conducted on 15 high-risk air quality communities coast-to-coast, reinforces that switching to biodiesel results in substantial health benefits. Specifically, the benefits include decreased cancer risk, fewer premature deaths, reduced asthma attacks and fewer lost workdays. B100 can achieve these benefits by reducing pollution in applications among the hardest to decarbonize –heavy-duty transportation and residential heating.
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Consider joining our thriving organization!
For more information, scan or click on the QR Code below.
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