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:
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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.
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AOI — Areas of Interest. The kinds of projects that a particular funding program is hoping to help with is financial support.
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CARB — California Air Resources Board. Administers numerous grant programs, including the Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program.
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CMAQ — Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement. A funding program jointly administered by the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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EPACT — The Federal Energy Policy Act. Requires state and federal fleets and fuel provider fleets to purchase alternative fuel vehicles.
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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.
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NYSERDA — New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
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SCAQMD: — California's South Coast Air Quality Management District. Administers grants for projects within the district's four-county area.
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SEDC — EPA Southeast Diesel Collaborative. Manages a Diesel Emissions Reduction Grant.
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SMAQMD — Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District. Administers numerous funding programs for fleets operating within the Sacramento Federal Ozone Nonattainment Area.
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TERP — Texas Emissions Reduction Plan. Established in 2001 to help improve air quality.
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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.