The Bay Area Quality Management District has recently announced that $5 million is available for hydrogen refueling stations thanks to the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust. Over 20% of the total project funds are expected to benefit low-income and disadvantaged communities.
The VW funding will boost the $45.7m that’s currently available through a grant funding opportunity led by the California Energy Commission: “GFO-19-602 – Hydrogen Refueling Infrastructure.”
The GFO-19-602 – Hydrogen Refueling Infrastructure is a competitive grant solicitation. To be qualified for participation, station developers are required to apply to the competition by 5 p.m. on April 30, 2020. Applications that are qualified, propose to purchase and install hydrogen refueling infrastructures available for the public, and meet the requirements of the California Energy Commission’s solicitation, may receive VW funding.
The Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust is a nationwide program that provides funding for California to alleviate the excess NOx emissions caused by VW’s use of ‘defeat devices’. The VW diesel vehicles were equipped with defeat devices, which is a software that’s used to cheat on emissions tests. The software sensed when the car was undergoing testing and then activated equipment that reduced emissions. During normal driving, the software turned the equipment down, increasing emissions beyond legal limits to save fuel or improve acceleration.
However, after the VW emissions scandal, the company has been working on making up for all the air pollution that they’ve contributed to the environment since 1945.
The VW Environmental Mitigation Trust program consists of five project categories. The Volkswagen $5m fund for hydrogen refueling stations is part of the Light-Duty Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure category. The regional air quality agency and the VW Environmental Mitigation Trust program assigned California Air Resources Board (CARB) to administer the funds statewide. The four other projects are:
- “Zero-Emission Freight & Marine Projects,” controlled by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
- “Zero-Emission Transit, School and Shuttle Bus Projects,” directed by San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.
- “Combustion Freight and Marine Projects,” directed by South Coast Air Quality Management District.
- “Zero-Emission Class 8 Freight & Port Drayage Trucks,” operated by South Coast Air Quality Management District.
