1. Grant Funding for School Bus Replacements
Webinar for Ohio School Boards Association
June 6, 2018

2. Today’s Presentation New VW funding opportunity – 26 Ohio counties
VW online grant application due 8/3/18
Alt Fuel Vehicle grants – all Ohio counties
DERG grants – 35 Ohio counties
US EPA school bus rebates – all Ohio counties

3. In 2016, the United States and California sued Volkswagen and associated companies, alleging that VW installed defeat devices on certain vehicles (model years ). The devices activated during emissions testing to make vehicles appear compliant with the law, when in fact, during on-road operation, the vehicles emitted nine to 40 times the allowable amount of nitrogen oxides (NOx), a harmful air pollutant.

4. $14 Billion VW Settlement
Overseen by federal court and court- appointed Trustee
$10 billion compensation to VW diesel vehicle owners (buyback, repair)
$2 billion to promote Zero Emission Vehicles,
$2.7 billion to remediate environmental effects of excess NOx emissions across all 50 states, D.C., Puerto Rico and Tribes
Electrify America is planning to spend $500 million installing EV charging stations in 38 states, including Ohio, in

5. State Responsibilities
Ohio will receive $75 million over 15 years, based on more than 16,000 VW and Audi diesel vehicles registered here with the defeat devices.
Trust agreement requires each state to develop a plan to allocate the funds among ten allowable uses, for approval by the Trustee.
Funds must be used to “impact air quality in areas that bear a disproportionate share of the air pollution burden.”

7. In April, 2018, US EPA designated 15 counties as nonattainment for the federal air quality standard for ozone under the Clean Air Act. Those counties are first priority to receive funding for projects that reduce emissions of NOx that cause ground-level ozone smog.

8. Ohio EPA tried to balance these concerns in determining how much to allocate to the different allowable uses. We will use it again each grant cycle in selecting the best mix of projects from the most cost effective applications in each “silo.” Replacing an entire school bus is not a very cost effective way to reduce emissions, but children are among the most vulnerable to the pollutants in diesel exhaust, so Ohio EPA earmarked 20% of the total VW funds for school bus projects.

9. $15 Million for School Buses over next 3 years: $5 million in 2018
Replace or repower 2009 and older diesel buses with new clean diesel, CNG or propane.
$3 million for small demonstration project for electric buses.

10. Reimbursement Rates Government-Owned School Buses
Maximum 75% of the cost of replacement buses and engine repowers (all fuel types)
Up to maximum amount per school bus: $110,000
To be competitive, grant applicants should consider offering a stronger local match than 25%.

11. Non-Government-Owned School Bus Replacements
Up to 25% of Replacement with new diesel, CNG, Propane, Diesel-Electric Hybrid
Up to 75% of Replacement with all-electric
Up to a maximum of $110,000 per bus
To be competitive, applicants should consider a stronger local match than 25%

12. Non-Government-Owned School Bus Repowers
Up to 40% of Repower with new diesel, CNG, Propane, Diesel-Electric Hybrid engine
Up to 75% of Repower with all-electric engine
Up to a maximum of $110,000 per bus

13. Project Scope Description Must Include
Method by which old engines will be decommissioned
Method to ensure vehicles will operate at least 75% of the time in Ohio’s first and second priority counties
Method to ensure vehicles will be maintained for a minimum of five years
Access to fueling station for CNG, Propane, Diesel-Electric Hybrid, All-Electric
75%: Intent here is not to exclude things like school buses used occasionally for out-of-county field trips, or school buses in a priority county, that may operate one route that cuts through a corner of a non-priority county. Note: if the OSHP says a school bus is unsafe and must be retired before the five year period is up, we will defer.

14. Financial Requirements for Non-Government Fleets
Demonstrate ability to cover upfront costs of entire project while awaiting reimbursement
Documentation of acceptable credit rating, or
Letter from a financial institution documenting
Time deposits (e.g. certificates of deposit), or
Line of credit, or
Loan (Reimbursements will be paid at rate the loan is paid down)
Credit Agency
Rating
Standard & Poor’s
AAA, AA, A or BBB
Dun & Bradstreet Viability
1, 2, 3, 4, or 5
Moody’s
Aaa, Aa, A, or Baa
Fitch
AAA, AA, A, or BBB
Financial institution can be a bank, credit union, or savings and loan, whose operations are regulated and examined by a federal or state agency in the U.S.

15. Note for Consultants
If you are preparing VW grant applications for more than one applicant, note that only one application can be in progress at a time associated with your user address. You must complete and submit one application before starting work on another, or use different user addresses for each application.

16. Emissions Estimates
Grant applicants are not required to estimate emissions for their projects.
Ohio EPA will use fleet data in the grant applications to estimate the cost-effectiveness of each project at reducing NOx emissions, using U.S. EPA’s Diesel Emissions Quantifier tool.
Applicants may run the DEQ for themselves to assess the competitiveness of their projects, but projects will be selected for award based on Ohio EPA’s estimates.

17. School Bus Example 5 propane school buses @ $90,000 = $450,000
Subtract $500 per bus scrap value
$447,500 x 0.75% = $335,625 grant share
Total tons/yr NOx reductions: 1.75 (from DEQ)
Cost Effectiveness $191,785 per ton NOx reduced
Compare to 50% request: $223,750 grant share / 1.75 = $127,857 cost effectiveness will score better compared to other projects
Competing against other school buses and projects in other sectors

18. DEQ Estimates Vary
The emission reduction estimates for a project will vary depending on factors such as the age of the vehicle, the miles travelled, amount of fuel used, and number of idling hours.
One district’s proposal for five propane school buses may be more cost effective than another school district’s proposal for five propane school buses at the same price, based on these factors.

19. Pre-Reviews and Resubmittals
The software will allow you to generate a pdf file of the application, that you can use to request pre-review by Ohio EPA. Do this before you hit “submit” which locks the application. You can generate a pdf of final version.
If a project is not funded this year, you will have the ability to copy and paste from the pdf of this year’s application into a new application next year.

20. Grant Cycle Schedule
Ohio EPA plans to hold one $15 million grant cycle for fleet projects (on- and off-road vehicles) in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
$11 million for ZEV infrastructure will be awarded through a separate competitive process in 2019.
In 2020, Ohio EPA will evaluate demand by sector and revise the state plan, if needed, to reallocate the remaining funds.

21. Comparing Apples and Oranges
In each grant cycle, Ohio EPA will rank applications by cost effectiveness, within each category and overall.
For example, Ohio EPA might select the 8 highest ranking school bus projects out of 30 applications received, and the highest ranking 6 transit projects, 2 rail projects, 5 truck projects and 1 airport cargo handling project.
Ohio EPA will consider sector and geographic balance in making awards
This has worked well in the DERG program.

22. Comparing Cost Effectiveness from First- and Second-Priority Counties
Between sectors: a very cost effective project such as a switcher locomotive in a secondary priority county would be selected before lower-ranking projects in other sectors.
Within sectors: very high ranking projects from secondary counties may be selected.

23. Diesel Mitigation Trust Fund Timeline
Request for Proposals released 6/4/18
OSBA webinar for schools 6/6/18
Ohio EPA webinars for all applicants 6/20, 6/26 Q&A will be posted to website
Ohio EPA Info session/Q&A opportunity 7/10 in Columbus at ODOT headquarters
Applications due no later than 3:00 p.m. 8/3/18
Grant awards announced October 2018
Note we are calling Ohio’s program the DMTF, not VW, but you can search either term to find it on our website.

24. Online Grant Application (Fleet Projects)
Read the Request for Proposals (RFP) posted at
Set Up Account in Ohio EPA’s Customer Support Center
Gather engine information on existing buses
Gather quotes for new buses, engine repowers, salvage value
Begin entering information

25. Competitive Purchasing Required!
Note that the vendor who provides a quote to submit with your application may not be the vendor selected for the project if a grant is awarded
Grant recipients are required to use a bid or other competitive purchasing process approved by Ohio EPA
We will allow state term contracts or other competitive pricing

26. Note Train Stops at top of each page and “Screen 2 of 5” to help you move around within the application. If you make an error, a message will appear in red just below the train stops telling you what the problem is.

27. Drop down menus for “replace” or “repower” and for fuel option
Drop down menus for “replace” or “repower” and for fuel option. Each time you move to the next page, your work will be saved. Note that your school district could apply for replacing some trucks in the same application.

28. Drop down menu of the 26 eligible counties

31. Get from the vendor who provides your quote

36. It will calculate percentages for you.

39. Maximum 1000 characters in text boxes

41. If you are applying for an alternative fuel or electric, you must include information about fueling or charging station you will use

42. Can add additional attachments as needed
Can add additional attachments as needed. Software will not check the contents, only whether at least one file has been uploaded. You may combine all attachments into a single pdf file if you wish.

43. Prompts will remind you of what you are required to attach, based on what you are applying for.

44. Signature certifies that you are authorized to submit on behalf of your school district. Doesn’t have to be the superintendent. If a grant is awarded, the contract would have to be signed by the superintendent or other authorizing official.

45. Alternative Fuel Vehicle Grants
One-time only, first come, first served
Open to applicants in every Ohio county
Repower or Replace gasoline or diesel buses weighing 22,000 pounds or more,
Grant will pay ½ the cost differential between a new diesel bus and a new CNG or propane bus of the same model, up to $25,000 per bus
Maximum grant size: $400,000
State funds

46. Alternative Fuel Vehicle Grants
So far, 14 grants awarded to school districts
39 propane buses, 2 CNG buses
Typical cost differential for a propane bus around $13,000
No requirement to destroy old bus
$1 million still available
Lower amount, but much higher chance of success

47. Diesel Emission Reduction Grants (DERG)
35 eligible counties
Up to 80% of replacement bus (public) or 80% of engine component costs (private)
Must decommission old bus

48. DERG program
Last four rounds, awarded grants to replace 139 school buses with clean diesel, 37 with propane, 4 with CNG
2016 projects delayed for more than a year awaiting required Buy America waivers
Ohio EPA and ODOT reviewing waiver language, hope to offer another DERG opportunity this fall

49. US EPA School Bus Rebates
Model years 2006 and older
$15,000 - $20,000 per bus
National lottery
US EPA expects to offer the program in 2018

50. Contact Information
For engine technology, vehicle quote and emissions estimate questions, (614) or
For other questions, (614) or