WASHINGTON, D.C. — Requests for applications (RFAs) are now available for a new clean-diesel funding campaign through the EPA.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (also known as the stimulus package) signed by President Obama in February includes $300 million for clean-diesel efforts, such as retrofitting older vehicles with emissions-reducing technology and purchasing new vehicles.

The Recovery Act funding through the EPA is broken into four programs:

• The National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program is receiving about $156 million. This funding will be awarded on a competitive basis to support diesel emission reduction programs.

   

• The National Clean Diesel Emerging Technology Program will receive about $20 million. This funding will support the use, development and commercialization of emerging technologies that reduce emissions from diesel engines.

   

• The SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program will receive about $30 million. This funding will support the creation of national, state or local innovative clean diesel financing programs.

   

• The State Clean Diesel Grant Program will receive about $88 million. This funding will be available to support clean diesel grant and loan programs administered by states and the District of Columbia.

  (The final $6 million has been set aside for administrative costs.)

  RFAs and further information are available here. The EPA is holding a series of conference calls and Web seminars to explain and answer questions on the different programs.

  The National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance and the Smartway Clean Diesel Finance RFAs will close on April 28. The National Emerging Technology RFA will close on May 5. (Notices of intent to apply for the State Clean Diesel Grant Program were e-mailed to states last month and were due earlier this month.) The Recovery Act funding is being offered this year in addition to the EPA’s fiscal year 2009 National Diesel Emissions Reduction Program Appropriations. A competitive announcement for the latter will be issued later in the year.