Project Green Fleet
Region
Florida, Louisiana, Minnesota, WashingtonTimeline
2006 - PresentTopics
Overview
Environmental Initiative partners work with fleet owners and operators to reduce air pollution by upgrading older diesel vehicles and equipment through Project Green Fleet. We are currently prioritizing work in:
- Communities that have faced, or are facing environmental justice concerns or health disparities.
- Areas that are not in compliance with federal air quality standards.
- Goods movement areas including ports, rail yards, airports, or other distribution centers.
Our model is to connect fleet owners with grant opportunities to help off-set the costs of replacing or upgrading diesel vehicles or engines. We identify funding opportunities and recruit fleets to participate in grant applications. Environmental Initiative coordinates installation of equipment, quantifies emissions reduced, and administers large-scale grant funding for Project Green Fleet.
Apply now: clean diesel grants
Approximately $1 million in grant funding is available to reduce emissions from older, diesel-powered off-road equipment by helping fleet owners to replace or improve eligible diesel equipment in Minnesota.
Funding and eligibility
Diesel equipment owners from public, private, and nonprofit sectors are encouraged to apply for grant funding to reduce emissions from older, diesel-powered off-road equipment. Learn more →
Contact us
Environmental Initiative will work with eligible fleet owners in Minnesota to prepare application materials to submit to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Contact Alli Mueller to get started today.
Our accomplishments
Project Green Fleet has installed pollution control equipment on 3,200 buses and retrofitted or replaced more than 1,300 heavy-duty diesel engines in trucks, transit buses, trains, boats, and other construction equipment. Together, this has reduced particulate matter emissions equivalent to removing more than 750,000 cars from the road annually.
1,500
Heavy-duty diesel vehicles and engines upgraded.
3,200
School buses retrofitted with pollution control equipment.
750,000
Cars removed from the road annually.
What vehicle types are eligible?
Project Green Fleet is able to reduce emissions on a range of diesel fleets including:
- Class 4-8 heavy-duty trucks
- Off-road construction equipment including loaders, sweepers, backhoes, etc.
- Locomotives
- Marine engines and port facility fleets
Engines must be in current use and operate at least 500 hours per year. After the upgrade, fleets must also agree to operate the equipment for at least 5 years.
Cleaning up marine diesel engines
At first glance, it’s not easy to see how towboats and air quality relate. Big engines – like the ones on marine vessels – can operate for several decades, and many of these older engines lack the environmental controls that are now standard in newer models. Learn more about our work to repower marine engines in partnership with Upper River Services in Saint Paul, Minn.
Clean Air Blogs
Are smoky summers the new normal?
Last July and August, you may remember a stretch of hazy days, red sunsets, and warnings about poor air quality. Summer it seems, has a new regular companion: wildfire smoke. If it seems like the number of…
Meet the Clean Air Minnesota co-chairs
Meet the co-chairs of Clean Air Minnesota, Jon Hunter and Tony Kwilas. The two have worked on air quality throughout their careers. As chairs, they advise the work pursued by Clean Air Minnesota to reduce air pollutants.
What is the air quality index and why does it matter?
Do you know how air quality can affect your health? You might not be able to see it, but the air you breathe could contain dangerous pollutants. The Air Quality Index can let you know what the quality of the…
Our Experts
We collaborate with fleet owners and operators to connect them with grant opportunities to upgrade older diesel vehicles and equipment.
Our Partners
