On February 28th, the US EPA announced the Clean Ports Program grant opportunity. Two Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) are open until the application window closes on May 28th at 11:59 PM (ET). $3 billion in funding is available from the Inflation Reduction Act to fund zero-emission port equipment and infrastructure, as well as climate and air quality planning at U.S. ports.
The Zero-Emission Technology Deployment Competition will fund zero-emission port equipment and infrastructure to reduce mobile source emissions (criteria pollutants, air toxics and greenhouse gases) at U.S. ports, delivering cleaner air for communities across the country.
View the Zero-Emission Technology Deployment NOFO here.
The Climate and Air Quality Planning Competition will fund climate and air quality planning activities at U.S. ports; including emissions inventories, strategy analysis, community engagement and resiliency measure identification, all of which will build the capacity of port stakeholders to continue to reduce pollution and transition to zero-emissions (ZE) operations over time.
View the Climate and Air Quality Planning NOFO here.
Both NOFOs will be open for 90 days. Applicants must submit all grant application materials to Grants.gov by: May 28th at 11:59 PM (ET). We encourage prospective applicants to begin the registration process for SAM.gov and Grants.gov. Both accounts are required to apply for federal grants, and the registration process can take at least 10 days to complete.
For both competitions, the EPA requests submittal of an optional informal notice of an Intent to Apply by March 28, 2024 to cleanports@epa.gov. Please use the subject line “Notice of Intent to Apply: Zero-Emission Technology Deployment” or “Notice of Intent to Apply: Climate and Air Quality Planning.” Please include in the body of the email the name of the applicant, the estimated dollar amount of the anticipated funding request, and a sentence or two summarizing the project (if known). Submission of Intent to Apply is optional and non-binding.
EPA will host informational webinars regarding these NOFOs to provide potential applicants with an overview of the NOFOs, how to apply, and EPA resources that will help with project development. The next webinar will be on March 13, 2024, 2 – 4 PM (ET). See the Ports Initiative Events webpage for more information.
Register for the March 13 webinar now!
For more information, including eligibility information, frequently asked questions, and resources for applicants, please visit the Clean Ports Program webpage. You may also send questions to our helpdesk at cleanports@epa.gov. The deadline to submit questions about the Clean Ports Program funding opportunities is May 6th, 2024.
[Content courtesy of the EPA’s press release]