New Hampshire State Clean Diesel Program

The New Hampshire Clean Diesel Grant Program is a program funded by EPA through the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA). The program is managed by the Air Resources/Technical Services Bureau of NHDES. The goal of this grant program is to reduce the emissions from older diesel engines in the state. Projects eligible for funding include idle reduction technologies, engine replacement, vehicle and equipment replacement, exhaust controls, and aerodynamic technologies. Funding opportunities are guided each year by our annual DERA work plan. See the 2020 NHDES Work Plan.

Grant funding requires a match by the grantee; the match requirement depends on the project (i.e., an engine replacement requires a match of 60%; a vehicle replacement requires a match of 75%; a drayage truck replacement requires a match of 50%). 

Funding for this Program is made possible through funding from the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) Program, and additional funding from New Hampshire's Office of Strategic Initiatives' (OSI) Volkswagen Settlement funds. This program is a reimbursement program only.  

Notice regarding the February 8, 2021 Request for Proposals (RFP) - Rounds 1 through 3:  As stated in the February 8, 2021 RFP, consideration of Round 2 and 3 proposals was contingent on the existence of remaining funding following the completion of Round 1 project selection. With the completion of Round 1 project selection, we have determined that no funding remains. Note that although there is no guarantee of annual DERA funding, the U.S. EPA has been able to provide annual DERA funding to support this State Clean Diesel Grant Program for the past several years, and we have historically released an RFP for new funding in October. 

Effective March 3, 2021: Notice of Amendment to open Request for Proposals (RFP) - Rounds 1 through 3. The Program Schedule in Section 1.5 of the RFP has been amended. The required project completion date has been changed from September 30, 2021 to September 30, 2022. No other changes are made. 

Effective February 8, 2021: Open Request for Proposals - Rounds 1 through 3: Approximately $500,000 is available for this competitive solicitation: 

• Round 1: Proposals must be received by 4:00 PM on Monday, March 8, 2021.
• Round 2: If funding remains, proposals received by 4:00 PM on Monday March 29, 2021 will also be considered.
• Round 3: If funding still remains, proposals received by 4:00 PM on Monday April 19, 2021 will also be considered. 

Timelines for notifying selected grantees, Governor and Executive Council approval, and project completion are listed in Section 1 under "1.5 – Program Schedule" of the Request for Proposals, which is available through the link below.

• Request for Proposals (RFP) Amendment #1
• Appendix A: Project Proposal Form (fillable application)
• Appendix B: EPA's 2019-2020 DERA State Grants Program Guide
• Appendix C: Scoring Criteria
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The designated contact person for this RFP is Jessica Wilcox, Transportation Program Specialist, NH Department of Environmental Services – Air Resources Division. Any questions related to this RFP must be submitted by email to jessica.wilcox@des.nh.gov

Scoring Results and Funding Amounts:

• October 1, 2020 Request for Proposals - Round 1
• October 1, 2020 Request for Proposals - Round 2

Recent Grant Recipients:

• EPA Grant 00A00003 (FFY 2015-2016)
• EPA Grant 00A00032 (FFY 2017-2018)
• EPA Grant 00A00175 (FFY 2019-present)

EPA also offers competitive grants separate from NH’s State Clean Diesel Program. For more information about these grants please go to EPA's DERA webpage.