For the first time, the MSRC is offering millions in Clean Transportation Funding for a new Work Program category - the “Near Zero” Heavy-Duty Natural Gas Incentive Program. Funding incentives are available to buy down the purchase cost of the Cummins Westport ISL G Near Zero (ISL G NZ) Natural Gas Engine for transit buses and refuse collection trucks operating in the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The ISL G NZ (see photo) only became commercially available earlier this spring and is offering another innovative strategy to dramatically reduce harmful emissions from the transportation sector, which account for about 40 percent of the GHG emissions in California.
What is so exciting about this new natural gas engine is that it is 90% lower than the current EPA heavy-duty engine standard, certified by the California Air Resources Board (ARB) below the optimal NOx emissions standard of 0.02 grams per brake-horsepower hour (g/bhp-hr), which means that it offers “near zero” emission levels for ozone precursor and particulate matter criteria air pollutants. According to Cummins, this certification is equivalent to a 100% battery electric truck using electricity from a modern combined cycle natural gas power plant. Additionally, the engine can run on renewable natural gas, making its operation even cleaner.
“The MSRC wants to be out front helping stakeholders deploy this technology because this near zero emission engine could be such a game changer in reducing mobile source emissions from heavy duty vehicles,” explained Greg Pettis, Chair of the MSRC and Mayor Pro Tem of Cathedral City. “We like to find opportunities to fund innovative clean air projects like this. The flexible nature of our funding programs allows us to offer our project partners a chance to be among the first in the country to purchase the cleanest buses and refuse trucks available.”
Up to $7.5 million in incentives are available for transit buses. Eligible transit agencies can receive up to $15,000 per qualifying urban transit bus, which include those powered by a heavy-duty engine, or of a type normally powered by a heavy-duty diesel engine, those primarily used for intra-city operation and are at least 30-feet in length.
Up to $2.5 million is being offered to qualifying refuse collection vehicles, for up to $25,000 per vehicle. Those eligible for the refuse collection truck incentive include public agencies, municipal and business enterprise owners and/or operators of eligible refuse collection vehicles, which include those configured to operate on dedicated natural gas, class 8/GVWR 33,000 pounds or more, and existing vehicles with a dedicated natural gas engine MY 2010 or older.
Applications will be accepted through December 2, 2016. Proposals must be submitted electronically in accordance with the MSRC’s online application submittal process.
The solicitation is available here: http://www.cleantransportationfunding.org/rfp/view/near-zero-heavy-duty-natural-gas-engine-incentive-program