Utah Division of Air Quality outlines $200M+ in EV, charger and heavy-duty vehicle funding; applications expected this fall

Christiana Johnson (CJ), grant manager with the Utah Division of Air Quality, told PlanTech that the state has secured more than $200,000,000 in transportation-related funding focused on electric vehicles, chargers and heavy-duty vehicle electrification. "We have more than $200,000,000 for transportation related programs," Johnson said, and outlined major funding streams: an EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (including a roughly $75,000,000 implementation component), EPA Clean Ports Program funding (about $110,000,000 for deployment and site electrification at the Salt Lake City Intermodal Terminal), an EPA Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles grant (about $60,000,000 for electric school buses and vocational vehicles), Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust funds (rounds for medium/heavy-duty vehicles and chargers), Diesel Emissions Reduction Act funding, and a Carbon Reduction Program allocation. Johnson noted some programs are targeted at fleets (public and private), and some include workplace, multifamily and residential charger support, as well as rebates or support for light-duty EVs, e-bikes and residential solar. She also advised government entities to consider federal tax-credit mechanisms such as direct pay because certain credits run on accelerated schedules: "the federal tax credit for electric vehicles, is available until the September, of 2025, and the federal tax credit for EV charging, is available until, 2026," Johnson said. Johnson said the Division is hiring staff, expects to launch several grant application rounds this fall, and plans to obligate funds through 2029. The presentation was informational; attendees were invited to consult the Division of Air Quality website for program details and application announcements.