(1) The American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act (ARRA) Georgia Truck Stop Electrification (TSE) and Green Corridors Grant
Program Scope and Purpose. Grants are available through ARRA to create green
corridors in Georgia by installing TSE along the major interstates.
(a) General Terms and Conditions of the
Grant.
1. The grant funding must be
exclusively used to install TSE as an alternative to operating an internal
combustion engine for cab comfort for trucks or other vehicles and/or reefer
units on trailers. Projects submitted for funding under this grant must
identify the locations and parking spaces that will be electrified and the type
of technology and equipment to be used. Eligible TSE costs include the purchase
and installation of necessary equipment to electrify truck parking spaces,
associated hardware and software, and necessary infrastructure. Existing or
acquired land for the parking spaces, TSE equipment and hardware, or
infrastructure are not eligible expenses and cannot be used as an in-kind
match.
2. The TSE equipment must be
located in Georgia with preference given to locations outside of areas
designated as nonattainment for fine particulate mater
(PM2.5).
3.
Projects that are awarded these funds will require a minimum 20% match. The
project applicant will be responsible for the match. Grant funds will be
distributed to grantee incrementally following completion of construction
task(s) provided the match has been satisfied for the incremental
distribution.
4. Grant recipients
must conform to all applicable administrative and programmatic
conditions.
5. Selected projects
must be completed by September 30, 2010.
(b) Eligible Recipients of the Grant. An
eligible grant recipient is any TSE vendor seeking grant funding to provide
electrification technology for heavy-duty trucks that idle for extended periods
of time at truck stops in Georgia.
(c) Criteria for the Award. This project is
limited to applications that will be used to assist in the development of
"green corridors" in the southeast. EPD intends to fund the purchase and
installation of TSE equipment at a minimum of three truck stop locations along
Georgia interstate(s). The amount of funding per application will depend on the
amount of funds requested by applicants and availability of grant funds. The
highest scoring project will be fully funded, subject to a maximum of 40% of
the total available funding. The second and third highest scoring projects will
be funded at equal percentage based on funding requested, and subject to a
maximum of 40% each of the total available funding. If the first three projects
are fully funded, then the remaining funds will be awarded sequentially to the
next highest score. A scoring system will be used to rank and select the
submitted applications. The application(s) receiving the highest total score(s)
will be selected. The maximum score for a project will be 100. The following
criteria will be used to score the submitted applications:
1. Maximized distance between existing TSE
locations from the proposed location in application - 35 Maximum Criteria
Points;
2. Proposed locations are
along interstate corridors with a minimized distance between the proposed TSE
location and the interstate entrance/exit ramp - 20 Maximum Criteria
Points;
3. Experience of vendor
installing TSE - 10 Maximum Criteria Points;
4. Exceeds minimum matching fund requirement
of 20% - 10 Maximum Criteria Points; and
5. Minimize grant costs per parking space for
selected TSE design - 25 Maximum Criteria Points.
(d) Deadline For Submittal. EPD will send out
the first solicitation for applications on or before October 1, 2009.
Applications will be due by close of business on November 2, 2009. If any funds
are remaining after projects are selected from the solicitation issued on or
before October 1, 2009, additional solicitations will be issued with specific
deadlines until all funds have been exhausted. All applications submitted in
response to any additional solicitations will be evaluated based on the
criteria in part (c). Selected applicants must sign the memorandum of agreement
with EPD within 30 days of receipt of the MOA from EPD.
(2) Directions For Submitting Applications
for the ARRA Georgia TSE and Green Corridors Grant. Requests for copies of the
general guidelines and proposal forms and submittal of applications for the
ARRA Georgia TSE and Green Corridors Grant should be made to:
Georgia Environmental Protection Division
Mobile and Area Sources Program
Attn: Richard McDonald
4244 International Parkway, Suite 136
Atlanta, Georgia 30354
e-mail: Richard_McDonald@dnr.state.ga.us
(3) Award of ARRA Georgia TSE and Green
Corridors grants are subject to Federal funding provided to EPD.
O.C.G.A. Sec.
12-9-6.