Emissions & Efficiency

Hurdling the acronym barrier

June 1, 2009

One of the first challenges anyone interested in funding opportunities must face is the acronym barrier, or, more aptly, the AB. Here is a short list of some of the acts, grant administering entities and funding programs often referred to by their acronyms only: ARRA American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Made some $600 million available for the purchase of new alternative fuel, clean diesel or hybrid

One of the first challenges anyone interested in funding opportunities must face is the “acronym barrier,” or, more aptly, the AB. Here is a short list of some of the acts, grant administering entities and funding programs often referred to by their acronyms only:

ARRA — American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Made some $600 million available for the purchase of new alternative fuel, clean diesel or hybrid medium- or heavy-duty trucks.
AOI — Areas of Interest. The kinds of projects that a particular funding program is hoping to help with is financial support.
CARB — California Air Resources Board. Administers numerous grant programs, including the Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program.
CMAQ — Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement. A funding program jointly administered by the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration.
DERA — Diesel Emissions Reduction Act. Funds were available for covering up to 25% of the cost of a new alternative fuel vehicle, if the old vehicle was rendered useless by boring a hole in the engine block.
DOE — U.S. Dept. of Energy. Funds numerous programs, including the Petroleum Reduction Technologies Projects for the Transportation Sector (administered through the Clean Cities Coalitions) and the Recovery Act-Transportation Electrification.
EISA — Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Mandates graduated increases in the volume of renewable fuels, calling for a rise in reliance on renewable fuels to increase to 36 billion gals. per year by 2022 from a 2008 level of 9 billion gals.
EPA — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Funds numerous programs, including the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program, Clean Diesel Emerging Technologies Program, SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program.
EPACT — The Federal Energy Policy Act. Requires state and federal fleets and fuel provider fleets to purchase alternative fuel vehicles.
GSA — U.S. General Services Administration. Recently announced plans to buy and deliver $300 million worth of energy-efficient and alternative fuel vehicles to replace operational motor vehicles currently in the federal inventory.
NYSERDA — New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
SCAQMD: — California's South Coast Air Quality Management District. Administers grants for projects within the district's four-county area.
SEDC — EPA Southeast Diesel Collaborative. Manages a Diesel Emissions Reduction Grant.
SMAQMD — Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District. Administers numerous funding programs for fleets operating within the Sacramento Federal Ozone Nonattainment Area.
TERP — Texas Emissions Reduction Plan. Established in 2001 to help improve air quality.
TIGGER — Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas & Energy Reduction. Administer grants to public transportation agencies for capital projects such as the replacement or repowering of existing buses with more energy-efficient buses.