The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is set to offer $5.7 million in grants to businesses that are replacing diesel vehicles with ones that use an alternative fuel source.
The grants are are being offered because many Texas cities are in violation of federal clean air standards. By retiring older diesel-burning fleet vehicles, these cities hope to avoid crossing the fine line that has been put in place by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
The grants, available under the Texas Clean Fleet Program, will be awarded to businesses and organizations that are using more than 75 cars and trucks, and intend to replace at least 20 diesel vehicles with ones that use either electricity, natural gas, propane, hydrogen or methanol.
Up to this point, the lack of alternative fueling stations has been the major roadblock to getting vehicles that use the cleaner burning fuels into mainstream use. Texas is hopeful that this grant, coupled with recently-passed laws encouraging natural gas fueling stations, will help push at least some businesses into taking that critical step.