EPA Ports Initiative Newsletter

September 15, 2023

Newsletter Items: 

• STRIDE Collaborative Partners Meeting: September 20-21, Atlanta, GA 
• Clean Air Northeast Partners Meeting: October 17-18, New York City, NY 
• REMINDER: Diesel Emissions Reduction Act 2022-2023 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Open Through December 1 
• Clean Ports Program Funding Opportunity Expected Late Winter 2024 

The STRIDE Collaborative is hosting their Annual Partners Meeting on September 20th and 21st in Atlanta, GA. This event will bring together public and private partners in eight southern states working to reduce diesel emissions in the agriculture, construction, transportation, shipping, and energy sectors to improve public health.  The meeting will be in-person and will feature speakers on a variety of topics including: electrification, alternative fuels, funding for projects that reduce diesel emissions, environmental justice, and more! There will be a pre-conference workshop held on September 19th. 

Clean Air Northeast is hosting a Partners Meeting on October 17-18 in New York City at Columbia University's Manhattanville campus. This in-person event will include presentations and panel discussions on electric vehicle charging station infrastructure, nonroad and marine technologies, environmental justice, transportation initiatives, new funding opportunities, and more. The event will bring together alternative fuel experts, community leaders, and government and nonprofit representatives from across the northeast.

Clean Air Northeast is a regionally coordinated initiative to reduce diesel emissions, improve public health, and promote clean diesel technology. It brings together the collective resources and expertise of several state environmental agencies, EPA regional offices, and private sector companies to address the existing fleet of diesel-powered vehicles and equipment. 

To accelerate the upgrade and turnover of the legacy diesel fleet, EPA recently released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the 2022-2023 Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) National Grant Program that is open through December 1. The 2022-2023 DERA Grant Program will award approximately $115 million in grants, subject to the availability of funds, the quantity and quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations. 

EPA is soliciting applications nationwide for projects that significantly reduce diesel emissions and exposure, especially from fleets operating at ports and other goods movements facilities and areas designated as having poor air quality. Priority for funding will also be given to projects that engage and benefit local communities, protect grant-funded investments from severe weather events caused by climate change, and applicants that demonstrate their ability to promote and continue efforts to reduce emissions after the project has ended. 

All application packages need to be submitted electronically to EPA through Grants.gov no later than Friday, December 1, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. (ET) to be considered for funding.

NOTE: Potential applicants without a Federal Grants account are encouraged to initiate the Federal Grants registration process well ahead of the deadline for funding, the registration process can take a month or more.

For any questions on the application, applicants should email written questions to: dera@epa.gov. For any technical issues with grants.gov, please contact grants.gov for assistance at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. More information, including webinar slides and a Questions and Answers document, can be found at the DERA website.

For information about past DERA grants at ports, visit the Ports Initiative’s Overview of DERA Grants Awarded for Port Projects. 

Important Dates and Future Information Sessions

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 provides EPA with $3 billion to fund zero-emission port equipment and technology and to help ports develop climate action plans to reduce air pollutants at U.S. ports. This new Clean Ports Program will build on EPA’s Ports Initiative that helps our nation’s ports, a critical part of our infrastructure and supply chain, address public health and environmental impacts on surrounding communities. EPA anticipates this new funding opportunity will become available for application through a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) released in late winter 2024. 

• View the public law text (see pp. 248-249 of the PDF version for the Clean Ports Program). 
• To access the text in Spanish, you can view the Ports Initiative Nov. 7 Newsletter. (Para acceder al texto en español, puede ver el Boletín sobre la Iniciativa de Puertos del 7 de noviembre.) 

Thank you to all stakeholders who have provided input through Requests for Information and listening sessions. We will continue to provide updates about the program in this newsletter and on the Clean Ports Program website.

For more information on technical resources and other funding opportunities to help reduce diesel emissions at ports, visit EPA’s Ports Initiative webpage. 

For more information on resources and best practices to address diesel emissions at ports, please visit EPA's Ports Initiative website.

Previous newsletters can be found here: EPA Ports Initiative Newsletter | US EPA