Press Releases
07/19/2022
DEEP Announces Availability of $4 Million in VW Settlement Funding For Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
Public and Private Entities Encouraged to Apply; Informational Webinar July 28, Applications Due Sept. 30
(HARTFORD)— The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is pleased to announce that up to $4 million is being made available for public and private entities to purchase and install light-duty Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE). This funding is part of DEEP’s Diesel Emissions Mitigation Program to reduce transportation related air pollution from light duty gasoline and diesel vehicles, funded through a 2018 settlement between the federal Environmental Protection Agency and Volkswagen for violations of the Clean Air Act.
For this first round of DEEP’s Zero Emissions Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZIP), $3 million will be available for EVSE project grants to fund municipal and state government EVSE infrastructure, with $1.2 million of that amount set-aside for EVSE deployment at state government sites to advance the sustainability goals of Executive Order 1. Up to $1.8 million will be available for additional state or municipal government sites. The remainder of the funding, up to $1 million dollars, will be dedicated to support non-government publicly accessible EVSE. Funding for projects to install EVSE at multi-unit dwellings and workplaces will be announced at a later date.
“Reducing transportation-related air pollution and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that contribute to global climate change is a DEEP priority,” DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said. “The number of electric vehicles registered in Connecticut has doubled in the last two years. More and more drivers are opting for the lower fuel and maintenance costs and better drivability of an electric vehicle, made more affordable thanks to the Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric Automobile Purchase Rebate (CHEAPR) program that was expanded in Public Act 22-25. This $4 million investment in EV chargers through the Zero Emissions Vehicle Infrastructure Program will ensure that EV drivers have more places to plug in across the state. We encourage entities public and private to learn more about this exciting opportunity, and consider applying.”
The transportation sector is responsible for 67% of NOx emissions and 39% of GHG emissions in Connecticut. In order to meet the state’s GHG reduction targets specified in the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA), Connecticut must achieve an 80% reduction from the transportation sector by 2050 with an interim target of 45% below 2001 levels by 2030. The ZIP funding as well as other efforts such as adopting new tailpipe emissions standards will help to reduce emissions of the smog-forming pollutant known as oxides of nitrogen or “NOx” from mobile sources in Connecticut. This will move us closer toward meeting GWSA targets as well as health-based air quality standards, while at the same time creating economic development opportunities across the state.
DEEP has scheduled an informational webinar about this funding opportunity for Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. Registration is required, please register here.
Applications are due no later than 5:00 PM EST on September 30, 2022. If you are interested in applying for funding under this program, please review important program information and download forms at https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Air/Mobile-Sources/VW/VW-Settlement---Home .
Background on VW Settlement
In late 2015, Volkswagen (VW) publicly admitted it had secretly and deliberately installed a defeat device - software designed to cheat emissions tests and deceive federal and state regulators - in nearly 590,000 VW, Audi, and Porsche model year 2009 to 2016 diesel vehicles sold to American consumers.
As a result of a federal civil enforcement case against VW for violating the Clean Air Act, Connecticut is expected to receive over $55 million, to be distributed over a ten-year period, for use toward offsetting the excess NOx pollution emitted in Connecticut by these VW vehicles.
Eligible source categories and funding allocations are specified in the State of Connecticut Beneficiary Mitigation Plan (the Plan) and limited by the Environmental Mitigation Trust Agreement for State Beneficiaries. Both non-government and government entities are eligible to apply. Connecticut has committed in the Plan to use 15% of the overall allocated funds on EVSE projects.- Twitter: @CTDEEPNews
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Contact
DEEP Communications
DEEP.communications@ct.gov
860-424-3110