The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will accept public comment and conduct public hearings regarding proposed revisions to the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) Guidelines for Emissions Reduction Incentive Grants, RG-388 and the TERP Guidelines for the Drayage Truck Incentive Program, RG-524. The public comment period closes February 6, 2018. For more information, including the schedule for public meetings, refer to the TERP webpage, www.terpgrants.org.

United Parcel Service said on Tuesday it is buying 125 Tesla all-electric semi-trucks, the largest order for the big rig so far, as the package delivery company expands its fleet of alternative-fuel vehicles.

Tesla is trying to convince the trucking community it can build an affordable electric big rig with the range and cargo capacity to compete with relatively low-cost, time-tested diesel trucks. This is the largest public order of the big rig so far, Tesla said.

The Tesla trucks will cost around $200,000 each for a total order of about $25 million. UPS expects the semi-trucks, the big rigs that haul freight along America’s highways, will have a lower total cost of ownership than conventional vehicles, which run about $120,000.

Prior to UPS, the largest single pre-order came from PepsiCo Inc, for 100 trucks.

“As with any introductory technology for our fleet, we want to make sure it’s in a position to succeed,” Scott Phillippi, UPS senior director for automotive maintenance and engineering for international operations, told Reuters.

Phillippi said the 125 trucks will allow UPS to conduct a proper test of their abilities. He said the company was still determining their routes, but the semis will “primarily be in the United States.” Tesla will provide consultation and support on charging infrastructure.

“We have high expectations and are very optimistic that this will be a good product and it will have firm support from Tesla to make it work,” Phillippi said.

The UPS alternative fuel fleet already includes trucks propelled by electricity, natural gas, propane and other non-traditional fuels.

Source: Reuters

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is now accepting applications for the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) Rebate Grants Program, a simplified first-come, first-served grant program to upgrade or replace on-road heavy-duty diesel vehicles and/or select non-road heavy-duty diesel equipment.

• On-road diesel vehicles must have a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) greater than 8,500 lbs.
• Non-road diesel equipment must be equipped with at least a 25 horsepower engine.

Tables with pre-approved grant Amounts for on-road and non-road replacement and repower projects are provided on the Rebate Grants Program webpage. The tables list the on-road vehicle weight categories and model years and the non-road equipment types, horsepower ranges, and model years eligible for funding.

Grant-funded vehicles and equipment must be operated at least 75% of their annual usage within one or more of the following eligible areas/counties:

• Austin Area: Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson Counties
• Beaumont-Port Arthur Area: Hardin, Jefferson, and Orange Counties
• Corpus Christi Area: Nueces and San Patricio Counties
• Dallas-Fort Worth Area: Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Henderson, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, and Wise Counties
• El Paso Area: El Paso County
• Houston-Galveston-Brazoria Area: Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, and Waller Counties
• San Antonio Area: Bexar, Comal, Guadalupe, and Wilson Counties
• Tyler-Longview Area: Gregg, Harrison, Rusk, Smith, and Upshur Counties
• Victoria Area: Victoria County

In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, the TCEQ will implement special policies and procedures to encourage the repower or replacement of vehicles and equipment damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Harvey with cleaner models. Appendix E of the Request for Grant Applications (RFGA) outlines the special policies and procedures that will apply to eligible vehicles and equipment that have been damaged or destroyed as a result of Hurricane Harvey.

A portion of the funding allocated to this program will be set aside for applicants with vehicles or equipment damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Harvey, and for applicants that qualify as a small business, as defined in the TERP Guidelines. Small businesses are encouraged to apply under this program.

Applications will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. on February 13, 2018 or until all funding is distributed.

Final copies of the RFGA, Maximum Eligible Grant Amount tables, and Application Forms are available on the Rebate Grants Program webpage. Contact us toll-free at 800-919-TERP (8377) with questions regarding the grant application process. Hard copies of the RFGA, rebate tables, and application forms may be mailed to interested applicants upon request.

PLEASE NOTE: The RFGA, Maximum Eligible Grant Amount Tables, and Application Forms have been changed from the draft versions released for 30-day review. You must use the final application forms and refer to the final rebate tables to determine your eligible funding amount.

Monday, Dec. 4, 2017 – Settlement to fund air emission reduction projects in Texas

Governor Greg Abbott has selected  the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to be the lead agency for purposes of Texas’ participation in the Environmental Mitigation Trust. This trust was established by the settlement of certain claims against Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche related to the car companies’ use of defeat devices to pass emission standard tests. Once Texas is certified as a beneficiary of the trust, the state’s allocation under the trust agreement  is approximately $209 million, to be spent over a period of three to 10 years. These settlement funds are required to be used to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides, a pollutant that was released in greater quantities as a result of the defeat devices. The settlement identifies 10 categories of eligible mitigation actions for which settlement funds can be spent.

Under the settlement agreement, participating states are required to develop a draft mitigation plan outlining how the state intends to spend its share of the settlement funds. The settlement requires that draft plans be released for public input prior to being finalized.

TCEQ Commissioner Jon Niermann, who has been selected by Governor Abbott to be the TCEQ’s primary administrator of the program, said “Our agency looks forward to developing a plan to efficiently administer these funds to help address issues associated with the emission of nitrogen oxides, which leads to ozone formation. We look forward to working with all stakeholders to develop a plan that effectively mitigates the emissions from vehicles that did not meet the emission standards.”

Any comments on the use of the settlement funds may be submitted by email to VWsettle@tceq.texas.gov or to the following addresses:

See Environmental Mitigation Trust webpage for more information.