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The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office) is charging up Tribal Nations this summer with specialized resources, funding opportunities, awards, and more.
Hualapai Tribe Plans for EV Charging Infrastructure
The Joint Office is providing comprehensive technical assistance to the Hualapai Tribe as the Tribe endeavors to install electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment for tourists who come to visit the iconic red cliffs and blue waters on the Tribe’s land in the Grand Canyon. Grand Canyon West Corporation, a Hualapai Tribal enterprise, manages the tourist destination Grand Canyon West (GCW), located within the Hualapai reservation on the west rim of the Grand Canyon. With an average of 1 million visitors each year, many now arriving in EVs, the need for charging equipment closer to GCW is evident.
The Joint Office Tribal Technical Assistance team, in coordination with the Land of Sky Clean Vehicles Coalition—a U.S. Department of Energy designated coalition in the Clean Cities and Communities partnership—will help the Tribe plan EV charging infrastructure to meet current and future customer needs, while also accounting for the realities of the GCW solar-plus-storage microgrid system. The technical assistance team is working with the Grand Canyon West Corporation to address questions such as:
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How many EV charging stations can be installed at GCW? At what level (Level 2 or DC fast charging)?
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What is an estimate of the power demands and load profile for the EV charging?
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How can the charging infrastructure be connected to the GCW microgrid?
Recently, researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Land of Sky Clean Vehicles Coalition visited the Hualapai partners, spending time at both GCW and Peach Springs, Arizona, Hualapai Tribal headquarters. The team conducted community engagement with the wider Hualapai community, including elementary school students and Elders, to understand Tribal member priorities around transportation. The team learned a lot about Peach Springs, public transportation, and community thoughts and feelings. The feedback gathered during this visit will inform additional technical assistance.
The Hualapai are a federally recognized Tribe located in northern Arizona. They have approximately 2,396 enrolled members. An estimated 1,247 people live on the Hualapai reservation.
To discuss your EV goals and start planning for the future, please contact us.
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Tribal EV Funding Opportunities
This program was created to strategically deploy publicly accessible EV charging and alternative fueling infrastructure in urban and rural communities at publicly accessible locations, including downtown areas and local neighborhoods, particularly in underserved and disadvantaged communities and along designated AFCs.
Funding is available in two categories:
- Community Charging and Alternative Fueling Grants (Community Program)
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Charging and Alternative Fuel Corridor Grants (Corridor Program).
Eligible activities include construction or reconstruction and the acquisition of real property directly related to the project; development phase activities, including planning, feasibility analysis, revenue forecasting, environmental review, preliminary engineering and design work, and other preconstruction activities; educational and community engagement activities to develop and implement education programs through partnerships; contracting with a private entity for acquisition and installation of eligible infrastructure; providing a private entity with operating assistance for the first 5 years of operations after the installation of eligible infrastructure while the facility transitions to independent system operations; and acquisition and installation of traffic control devices located in the right-of-way to provide directional information to eligible infrastructure included in the project.
Applications are due by Aug. 28, 2024. 2023 CFI Tribal Awards include awards to Chilkoot Indian Association and San Carlos Apache Tribal Council.
This program marks the single largest environmental justice investment in history, and it is going directly to communities. EPA will award approximately 50 $10–20 million grants for Community-Driven Investments for Change and 20 $1–3 million grants for Meaningful Engagement for Equitable Governance. Eligible applicants include a partnership between a community-based nonprofit organization and one of the following: another community based nonprofit organization, a federally recognized Tribe, a local government, or an institution of higher education. Out of the $2 billion in funding, EPA has identified five target investment areas to help ensure that communities with unique circumstances, geography, and needs can equitably compete for funding. These include Tribes in Alaska—$150 million for projects benefitting Indian Tribes in Alaska, including funds for cleanup of contaminated lands—and $300 million for projects benefitting Tribal communities in other states.
The activities to be performed under the grants are expected to fall under but are not limited to the following categories: climate resiliency and adaptation; mitigating climate and health risks from urban heat islands, extreme heat, wood heater emissions, and wildfire events; community-led air and other (including water and waste) pollution monitoring, prevention, and remediation; investments in low- and zero-emission and resilient technologies and related infrastructure; workforce development that supports the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants; and facilitating the engagement of disadvantaged communities in state and federal advisory groups, workshops, rulemakings, and other public processes.
Applications are being accepted now through Nov. 21, 2024.
The CBPA program reduces barriers to zero-emission bus deployment by providing school and transit bus fleets with free technical assistance to develop comprehensive and customized fleet electrification transition plans. CBPA connects transit and school bus fleets with technical experts to support planning for bus electrification. Fleets also have the option to receive free deployment assistance from NREL at the completion of their plan. CBPA is not an incentive program, and fleets do not receive direct funding—rather, selected applicants will be allocated technical assistance resources by NREL. Applications accepted on a rolling basis.
EPA is authorized under DERA to offer funding assistance to accelerate the upgrade, retrofit, and turnover of the legacy diesel fleet. Eligible activities include the retrofit or replacement of existing diesel engines, vehicles, and equipment with EPA- and California Air Resources Board-certified engine configurations, and verified retrofit and idle reduction technologies.
Applications are due by Dec. 6, 2024.
This program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. Tribes may utilize the program to install EV charging stations as a component of a larger community facility build or refurbishment. Most of the funding is available through long-term, low-interest direct loans. Grants are usually limited to $50,000 or less and are typically used for equipment and vehicles associated with eligible community facilities and the essential services they provide. Eligible activities include EVs purchased for essential community services by public bodies, nonprofits, and federally recognized Tribes; municipal EV charging stations for vehicle fleets and for use in rural municipal parking lots; and EV charging stations for use at rural community facilities, including hospitals, medical clinics, schools, colleges, libraries, and town halls, among others.
Applications are accepted year-round.
This discretionary grant program is investing in road, rail, transit, and port projects that achieve national objectives. The eligibility requirements of RAISE allow project sponsors at the state and local levels to obtain funding for multimodal, multijurisdictional projects that are more difficult to support through traditional USDOT programs. In FY 2021, RAISE expanded program eligibility to include zero-emission vehicle infrastructure.
FY 2025 applications are due by Jan. 13, 2025.
This program provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or energy efficiency improvements. Agricultural producers may also apply for new energy-efficient equipment and renewable energy systems to offset costs associated with agricultural production and processing. Although Tribal governments are not directly eligible, Section 17 corporations, Tribally owned corporations and enterprises that qualify as small businesses, Tribal agriculture operations, and Tribal member-owned businesses are eligible for assistance under this program. Eligible applicants may utilize the program to assist with installation of EV charging stations and other EV-related projects as part of renewable energy system improvements.
Applications due quarterly: Sept. 30, 2024.
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Upcoming EV-Related Events
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RE+ 24 – Sept. 9–12, 2024 (Anaheim, CA)
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Recent Events
National Tribal Forum on Air Quality, May 6–8, 2024
Representatives from more than 100 Tribes and various federal agencies gathered for the National Tribal Forum on Air Quality in the beautiful Smoky Mountains. The forum was hosted by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and organized by the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals and the National Tribal Air Association. The theme this year, Environmental Action in Native Communities, focused on local and national efforts to advance air quality protection, climate change awareness, and environmental action in Tribal communities.
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About the Joint Office
The Joint Office is a collaboration between the U.S. Departments of Energy and Transportation to support the buildout of a nationwide network of electric vehicle chargers, zero-emission fueling infrastructure, and zero-emission transit and school buses. Learn more at DriveElectric.gov. It is facilitating the adoption of electrified transportation in collaboration with Tribal Nations by providing comprehensive technical assistance and resources.
Sign up to receive regular communications about Joint Office vacancy announcements, webinars, news, funding opportunities, and thought leadership pieces on creating a future where everyone can ride and drive electric.
For more updates, follow the Joint LinkedIn.
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