EPA awards $144 million to California to phase out big diesel trucks
The Environmental Protection Agency is awarding $144 million in grants to fund 13 projects in California to help the state phase out big rigs that run on diesel
SAN FRANCISCO — The Environmental Protection Agency is awarding $144 million in grants to fund 13 projects in California to help the state wean off fossil fuels and phase out big rigs that run on diesel.
The money will go to the state transportation department, cities and school districts, among others, to purchase some 480 zero-emission vehicles to replace diesel-powered trucks, school buses and other large vehicles. It is part an EPA program that provides a total of $735 million to 70 projects across the country, officials announced Wednesday.
The grants are paid for by the 2022 climate law approved by congressional Democrats. The law, officially known as the Inflation Reduction Act, includes nearly $400 billion in spending and tax credits to accelerate the expansion of clean energy such as wind and solar power, speeding the nation’s transition away from the oil, coal and natural gas that largely cause climate change.
The funds, to be delivered in early 2025, “will reduce air pollution, improve health outcomes in nearby communities, and advance the campaign to tackle climate change,” EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman said in a statement.
California and local agencies will have the next two to three years to implement the grants for zero-emission trucks.
Nationwide, the transportation sector contributes the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions annually, according to the EPA, with medium- and heavy-duty trucks contributing nearly a quarter of those emissions.
Heavy-duty vehicles make up about 3% of vehicles on the road in
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