Loans and Grants

The California Environmental Protection Agency and its boards, departments, and office offer funding opportunities authorized by legislation to assist public and private entities in the safe and effective management of environmental protection. Use the list below to access more detailed information about the individual loan and grant programs. Downloadable listing (PDF 264KB)

You can also visit the California Climate Investments website for information and programs!

CalEPA

Grants

  • Environmental Enforcement and Training Grants. Program provides financial Assistance for environmental enforcement, education and training to enhance statewide enforcement of environmental laws. Funding sources are donations from environmental enforcement settlements that contribute to the Environmental Enforcement and Training Account. (Penal Code Section 14300).
    Contact: Jessica Aresca
    Deadline: Grant application period is annually August 1 – 31.
  • Environmental Justice Small Grants Program. Program provides grants to eligible community-based grassroots non-profit organizations and federally recognized tribal governments that are located in areas adversely affected by environmental pollution and hazards and are involved in addressing environmental justice concerns.
    Contact: Chloe Skewis
    Deadline: Contingent upon funding availability.
  • Rural CUPA (California State Unified Program) Reimbursement Program. Provides reimbursement of funds to rural counties for activities associated with implementing the California State Unified Program (CUPA). A CUPA is a local agency that is responsible for hazardous materials management and oversight.
    Contact: Fiona Humphrey, (916) 445-6809
    Deadline each year September annually.

California Air Resources Board

(updated 7/18/19)

Loans

  • Loan Assistance Program. Loan assistance is available to small California businesses who own 10 or fewer diesel trucks, $10 million annual revenue limit, 100 or fewer employees.  The program is available for the purchase (not refinance) of new/used on-road heavy-duty trucks with 2010 or newer model year engines certified to engine emission standards of 1.20 g/bhp-hr NOx and 0.01 g/bhp-hr PM or cleaner and engines fueled with diesel, compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, or other fuels.

    Contact: Eric Patton, (916) 445-5001
    Deadline: On-going and contingent on funding availability.

Grants

  • Carl Moyer Voucher Incentive Program. Funding available on a first-come, first-served basis to fleets that are compliant with the Truck & Bus Regulation who own 10 or fewer diesel trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 14,000 lbs. Vehicles must operate a minimum of 75% of the time in California and have a California-based registration for the past two years. Funding is available for up to $60,000 for diesel truck replacement of model year 2009 or older engines with a 2013 or newer engine that is at or below 0.20 g/bhp-hr nitrogen oxides (NOx) and 0.01 g/bhp-hr particulate matter.
    Contact: Participating Dealerships
    Deadline: On-going and contingent on funding availability.
  • Hybrid & Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP). HVIP provides point-of-sale discounts to vehicle purchasers. There is no waiting for a rebate check or a tax credit. HVIP works closely with truck and bus dealers to apply the voucher incentive at the time of purchase. Funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis. There are three categories of purchasers and lessees:

–  Up to $315,000 for California purchasers and lessees of fuel cell zero-emission trucks and buses
–  Up to $175,000 for California purchasers and lessees of zero-emission buses
–  Up to $40,000 for trucks and buses with engines meeting the optional low NOx standard

 Contact: Patrick Chen, (626) 350-6520
 Deadline: On-going and contingent on funding availability.

  • Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program. The Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program provides financial opportunities for the incremental cost of cleaner than required trucks, engines, and equipment. The Carl Moyer Program is implemented through the cooperative efforts of the California Air Resources Board and local California air pollution control or air quality management districts. Funds are available to fleets or truck owners operating vehicles with manufacturer gross vehicle weight rating greater than 14,000 lbs. in California for a minimum of two years and operated at least 51 percent of the time in California.
    Funding available for three categories:

–  Replacements, repowers, or conversions of a vehicle with a model year 2010 or older engine.
–  Fleets with 10 or less vehicles: Replacing older engines with 2013 or newer model year engines certified to a PM emission standard of 0.01 g/bhp-hr and a NOx standard of 0.20 g/bhp-hr or lower
–  Fleets with more than 10 vehicles: Replacing older engines with engines certified to the optional low NOx standard (0.10 g/bhp-hr NOx) or cleaner (except school buses, log trucks, low mileage work trucks, agricultural vehicles, and vehicles operating exclusively in NOx Exempt areas)

 Contact: Find your local air pollution control district
 Deadline: Contact your local air pollution control district for information on application deadlines.

  • Volkswagen Environmental (VW) Mitigation Trust. The VW Environmental Mitigation Trust provides about $423 million for California to mitigate the excess nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions caused by VW’s use of illegal emissions testing defeat devices in certain VW diesel vehicles. Funding will be available in fall of 2019. Funding is available for four categories of vehicles and equipment:

–  Up to $130 million for zero-emission transit, school and shuttle buses
–  Up to $90 million for zero-emission class 8 freight and port drayage trucks
–  Up to $70 million for zero-emission freight and marine projects including, heavy-lift forklifts and port cargo handling equipment, airport ground support equipment, ocean-going vessel shore power, and zero-emission repowers for ferries, tugboats, and towboats
–  Up to $10 million for light-duty zero-emission vehicle infrastructure

   Contact: VW Mitigation Trust, (916) 324-7582
   Deadline: Subscribe to the email list to be notified when the application period opens.

  • Moyer Truck Improvement Benefitting Emission Reduction (TIMBER). The TIMBER program is available on a first-come, first-served basis to fleets that are compliant with the Truck & Bus Regulation and are reporting in either the NOx Exempt Area Extension or Log Truck Phase-In Option. Vehicles must operate a minimum of 75% of the time in California and have a California-based registration for the past two years. Vehicles must engage at least some of the time in logging and operate a minimum of 6,000 miles per year or consume 1,100 gallons of diesel fuel per year during the previous two years depending on engine model year. Funding is available for:

–  Up to $60,000 for replacement of trucks that have hauled logs in the past 12 months
–  Replacing truck with a new/used 2010 or newer engine that is at or below 0.50 g/bhp-hr NOx and 0.01 g/bhp-hr PM

  Contact: Participating Dealerships
  Deadline: On-going and contingent on funding availability.

  • The Funding Agricultural Replacement Measures for Emission Reductions (FARMER). The FARMER Program provides funding through local air districts for agricultural harvesting equipment, heavy-duty trucks, agricultural pump engines, tractors, and other equipment used in agricultural operations. The FARMER Program now includes new project categories for heavy-duty agricultural trucks and equipment unavailable with similar horsepower ratings, and modifications to the existing zero-emission agricultural utility terrain vehicles (UTV) project category.
    Contact: FARMER Program, (916) 323-8967
    Deadline: Contact your local air district for the latest information on funding availability, project eligibility, applications, and project selection timelines.

School Bus Funding Programs:

  • Hybrid & Zero-Emission Truck & Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP). Statewide program that provides vouchers to help offset the incremental cost of eligible hybrid, low NOx engine, hydrogen fuel cell or battery electric trucks and buses.
  • Rural School Bus Pilot Project. Statewide program administered through the North Coast Air Quality Management District to replace old school buses with new lower carbon transportation choices. The program gives preference to school districts located in small air districts.
  • California Energy Commission School Bus Replacement Program. Program that provides grant funds for the replacement of the oldest school buses in California. This program emphasizes replacement with electric buses. Priority is to school districts and county offices of education containing disadvantaged communities and with a majority of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals in the prior year.
  • AB 617 – Community Air Protection Funds. Community Air Protection Funds are available to support early action emissions reductions in communities most affected by air pollution. School bus replacements are an eligible project type.
  • Carl Moyer Program. The Carl Moyer Program provides funding for cleaner-than-required engines and equipment. School buses are one of the many categories of equipment funded through the program, grant amounts vary depending on the project type. 
  • Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust. The Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust provides approximately $423 million for California to mitigate excess emissions caused by VW’s use of illegal defeat devices. The approved Beneficiary Mitigation Plan outlines there is $130 million available for zero-emission transit, school, and shuttle buses.
  • Diesel Emission Reduction Act and School Bus Program Rebates. The State Clean Diesel Grant Program (State Diesel Emission Reduction Act [DERA]) provides emission reductions from diesel-fueled school buses by replacing them with zero-emission electric school buses, thereby reducing school children’s exposure to cancer-causing pollution.
  • Lower-Emission School Bus Program (LESBP). The Lower-Emission School Bus Program provides funding to replace high-emitting model year school buses with lower-emitting new school buses, and to equip in-use diesel school buses with CARB-verified diesel retrofit devices to reduce toxic PM emissions. Local air districts follow the LESBP guidelines when using local funds for school bus projects. For information on local funding programs, contact your local air pollution control district.
    Contact: Heather Choi, (916) 322-3893
    Deadline: Depends on each program. Click on the program links for more information.

CalRecycle

Department of Toxic Substances Control


Loans (updated 4/15/19)

  • Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Program (RLF): Through the RLF, DTSC provides below-market, low interest loans for cleanup of a hazardous substance or petroleum site where redevelopment or reuse is planned. Eligible borrowers include local agencies and municipalities, nonprofit organizations, tribes, and private entities who are not considered to be responsible parties.
    Contact: Jennifer Black, Program Manager of the RLF at (916) 869-5356.
    Deadline: Applications accepted on a continuous basis.
  • Cleanup Loans and Environmental Assistance to Neighborhoods (CLEAN) Loan Program: The CLEAN Loan Program provides low-interest loans of up to $2.5 million for the cleanup of hazardous materials where redevelopment is likely to have a beneficial impact on the property values, economic viability and quality of life of a community. 
  • Investigating Site Cleanup Program (ISCP): The Investigating Site Cleanup Program provides low-interest loans of up to $100,000 to conduct preliminary endangerment assessments.  If redevelopment of property is determined not economically feasible, up to 75 percent of the loan amount may be waived.

Grants (updated 4/15/19)

  • Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Program: The RLF provides U.S. EPA-funded grants, up to $200,000, for brownfields sites where redevelopment or reuse is planned. Under this program, local government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and tribes who are not considered to be responsible parties could be eligible for a grant to help with the cost of implementing a hazardous substance or petroleum cleanup.
    Contact: Jennifer Black, Program Manager of the Revolving Loan Fund at (916) 869-5356.
    Deadline: Applications accepted on a continuous basis.
  • Targeted Site Investigation (TSI) Program. Under the TSI Program, DTSC selects sites to receive environmental services through a competitive application process.  The TSI focuses on brownfield sites where redevelopment or reuse is being considered. The DTSC TSI Program is funded by the U.S. EPA through a CERCLA 128(a) State and Trial Response Program Grant.  For the selected properties, DTSC provides assessment, investigation, or cleanup planning services at no cost to the applicant.

Water Resources Control Board

Loans

  • Agricultural Drainage Program. Program provides loans to projects that address treatment, storage, conveyance or disposal of agricultural drainage that threaten waters of the State.
    Contact: Julie Rizzardo
    (916) 341-5822 Deadline: Applications accepted on a continuous basis.
  • Agricultural Drainage Management Loan Program. Program provides loans and grants for drainage water management units, which are land and facilities for the treatment, storage, conveyance, reduction or disposal of agricultural drainage water. Runoff untreated would pollute or threaten to pollute waters.
    Contact: Julie Rizzardo
    (916) 341-5822 Deadline: Applications accepted on a continuous basis.
  • Clean Water State Revolving Fund. Low-interest loans for wastewater treatment facilities and nonpoint source pollution control projects.
    Contact: Christopher Stevens
    (916) 341-5698 Deadline: Applications accepted on a continuous basis.
  • Replace, Remove or Repair Underground Storage Tanks. Grants and Loans to assist with the expense of replacing, removing, upgrading, or making other specified improvements to petroleum underground storage tanks.
    Contact: Janice Clemons
    (916) 341-5657
    Deadline: Ongoing

Grants

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