The South Coast Air Quality Management District today awarded $47.4 million to 26 businesses, organizations, universities, government agencies and utility companies in the South Coast Basin and Coachella Valley to help them purchase and upgrade their equipment with cleaner and energy efficient technologies. Much of the funding will be directed at environmental justice communities that are close to industrial areas and are some of the hardest hit by air pollution. The projects are located in all four counties in SCAQMD’s jurisdiction.
“By partnering with and providing funding to projects that coincide with SCAQMD’s goals, we can begin to replace older, higher-emitting appliances and equipment, support infrastructure that promotes cleaner and renewable fuels, upgrade engines and vehicles to zero- and near-zero emission technologies and help green our ports” said Wayne Nastri, SCAQMD’s executive officer. “Reductions in air pollution must come from several sectors to benefit public health for our communities and our local economy.”
To meet federal Clean Air Act requirements for the region, SCAQMD uses an array of methods to reduce air pollution that includes incentive funding to support cost-effective and feasible projects to aid in achieving SCAQMD’s air quality goals.
“Great strides have been made in air pollution control programs but health-based air quality standards cannot be achieved without significant further emission reductions from stationary and mobile sources,” Nastri said. “In order to meet these goals, we must use every tool in our toolbox to meet and achieve our clean air objectives.”
SCAQMD’s 2016 Air Quality Management Plan seeks to achieve and maintain federal air quality standards within attainment deadlines to comply with federal Clean Air Act requirements. The region must meet the 1-hour ozone, 8-hour ozone, 24-hour PM2.5, and annual PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards within the next 12 years.
Funds for these projects come from air quality penalty settlements, mitigation fees and other sources.
The following is a list of projects approved today by SCAQMD’s Board.
| Project Proponent | Project Title | Funding Amount (up to) | |
| Institute of Gas Technology | Ultra-Low-NOx Commercial Foodservice Deep Fat Fryer Development | $321,970 | |
| Institute of Gas Technology | High Efficient and Low-NOx Combo Ribbon Burner Combustion System Demonstration | $1,282,000 | |
| Nett Technologies | Commercial Harbor Craft NOx and PM Emission Reduction Technology Demonstration | $1,338,750 | |
| Rialto Bioenergy Facility, LLC | Rialto Bioenergy Facility RNG Upgrading and Interconnection Project | $4,365,801 | |
| Chanje Energy, Inc. | Chanje Zero-Emission Panel Van Deployment Project | $3,000,000 | |
| Grant Farm | AMPCaddy Deployment Program | $361,030 | |
| Harley Marine Services | Electric Drive Tugboat Technology Project | $3,000,000 | |
| Beckett Gas, Inc. | Application of Swirl-Pattern Burner Head Technology (Rule 1111) | $791,992 | |
| BioFuels Energy, LLC | Aquarium of the Pacific 1320 kW Fuel Cell Power Generation System | $650,000 | |
| University of Redlands | Microgrid System at University of Redlands | $1,962,000 | |
| Transportation Power, Inc. | Electric Class 8 Refuse Trucks Using Advanced Charging and Renewable Energy | $2,250,000 | |
| Port of Long Beach | The Port of Long Beach Zero- Emission and Hybrid Terminal Equipment Deployment and Demonstration Project | $2,500,000 | |
| FuelCell Energy, Inc. | Riverside Flare Reduction Project: Producing Renewable Hydrogen & Power and Avoiding NOx and VOC | $3,767,380 | |
| Southern California Gas Company | Midstream Commercial Water Heating Incentive Program | $1,221,237 | |
| Southern California Gas Company | Residential Fuel Cell Demonstration with PV and Storage | $490,000 | |
| University of Southern California | Transient Pulsed Plasma Technology for Retrofit Treatment of Diesel Emissions | $688,045 | |
| Clean Energy | Market Acceleration Program (MAP) (HD NZ NG Truck Replacement) | $3,000,000 |
| Project Proponent | Project Title | Funding Amount (up to) | |
| Lantec Products | Next Generation Ultra Low NOx Forced Air Forced Air Furnace | $340,000 | |
| Healthy Hearth, LLC | HearthCAT Retrofit Program | $2,280,000 | |
| PureFlame Technologies, LLC | Restaurant Emissions – PM Reduction Program | $100,000 | |
| Alcal Specialty Contracting | Residential Energy Efficiency Retrofit Project (Coachella Valley) | $966,667 | |
| Coachella Valley Association of Governments | Regional PM-10 Street Sweeping Operations in Coachella Valley | $1,150,000 | |
| Association for Energy Affordability, Inc. | Multifamily Affordable Housing Electrification Project: Zero-NOx Water Heating, Space Heating, Cooking and Laundry Systems | $7,740,000 | |
| Advanced Energy Machines | Zero emission transport refrigeration at Heart of Compassion Distribution | $338,920 | |
| Bloom Energy, Corp. | Fuel Cells Integrated with Energy Storage on College of the Canyons Campus | $3,000,000 | |
| Alcal Specialty Contracting | Residential Energy Efficiency Retrofit Project (San Fernando Valley) | $480,000 | |
| Total: $47,385,792 | |||
SCAQMD is the air pollution control agency for Orange County and major portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
