Clean Air Grants - On-Road Vehicles

The 2025 Clean Air Grants for On-Road Vehicles is administered by the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (District) and funded through several state-level programs, including the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Carl Moyer Program, the Community Air Protection Program, the FARMER Program (Funding Agricultural Replacement Measures for Emission Reductions), and DMV surcharge revenue. The purpose of this program is to improve public health and air quality by reducing emissions from on-road vehicles through the early replacement of high-polluting diesel or CNG vehicles with zero-emission alternatives. This competitive grant program supports the cost-effective replacement of compliant diesel or compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, including commercial trucks, buses, emergency vehicles, and certain transportation refrigeration units (TRUs), with new zero-emission vehicles or equipment. Projects are prioritized based on emission reductions, cost-effectiveness, location in disadvantaged communities as defined by SB 535, and alignment with CARB regulations. The program strictly requires that any replacement must be surplus to applicable regulations, and emission reductions cannot be used to fulfill any regulatory obligations or credit programs. Applicants may be public, private, or nonprofit entities, but only one application per company or entity is allowed per program category. Each applicant may only submit one vehicle project per cycle. Applications must be complete and meet specific requirements regarding vehicle operation, location, and CARB compliance. For example, baseline vehicles must be operational and registered in Santa Barbara County for at least 24 months. At least 51% of annual use must occur within the South Central Coast Air Basin, encompassing Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo Counties. Applications are accepted from July 28 to September 5, 2025. Applications must be submitted via email or mail and are only considered complete when all supporting documentation is included. Required documents include proof of vehicle ownership and registration history, mileage logs, CARB compliance documents including TRUCRS fleet data and certificates, and a detailed quote for the replacement zero-emission vehicle. Vehicles must not be purchased prior to award notification, and all approved funding will be disbursed on a reimbursement basis following verified purchase and compliance. Each eligible project can receive between $10,000 and $250,000, with the final award determined by factors such as emission reduction potential and cost-effectiveness. All projects are subject to pre-inspections to verify vehicle status and post-award inspections to ensure destruction of the replaced vehicle and continued compliance. Zero-emission vehicles must also meet CARB durability and warranty standards. The District reserves the right to rank, prioritize, or reject applications based on available funding and project impact. Applicants are expected to comply with extensive operational, reporting, and compliance conditions throughout the life of the grant, including installation of GPS or digital meters where necessary and submission of annual usage reports. Questions regarding the program can be directed to Sydney Rouse via email at Grants@sbcapcd.org or by phone at (805) 979-8327. Applications not received within the submission window will not be considered, and the next expected funding round, if recurring, would open in July 2026 based on annual scheduling.

Ensure all documents are prepared before submission; pre-purchase of vehicles disqualifies.