NJ Board of Public Utilities expands clean fleet EV incentive grant program

Published on August 20, 2021 by Dave Kovaleski


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The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) expanded its Clean Fleet Electric Vehicle Incentive grant program.

The program offers up to $7 million in grants for public entities to purchase electric vehicles (EVs) and related charging infrastructure. The approved expansion increases the award caps and boosts the program’s reach as the commission looks to reach Gov. Phil Murphy’s goal of transitioning at least 25 percent of state-owned, non-emergency light duty vehicles to plug-in EVs by the end of 2025.

“Transportation is responsible for 46% of New Jersey’s net greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to the damaging effects of climate change and poor air quality in our communities,” Joseph Fiordaliso, NJBPU president, said. “Electrifying our transportation sector is critical to achieving Governor Murphy’s goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2050 and requires a collective effort at the state and local level. By expanding the Clean Fleet Electric Vehicle Incentive Program, we are providing more opportunities for local and state government entities to upgrade their fleets and infrastructure while participating in the clean energy revolution.”

The incentive program was first introduced in 2019 as a $210,000 pilot program funded through the U.S. Department of Energy. It allowed local and state government entities to apply for up to two $4,000 grants toward purchasing battery electric vehicles and one $1,500 grant toward the purchase of a Level-Two EV charging station. In June of this year, the funding was boosted to $7 million for fiscal year 2022, with $6 million available to state entities and $1 million available to local governments.

Those eligible for the funds include school districts, municipal commissions, state agencies or boards, state commissions, state universities, community colleges, county authorities, municipalities, municipal utility authorities, and state agencies.

With this expansion, local governments and entities serving a population over 20,000 can apply for grants for up to five vehicles, up from two. For those serving an area of over 50,000, the cap will increase from two vehicles to seven vehicles. For those entities serving a population over 100,000, the vehicle cap will increase from two vehicles to ten vehicles. The modifications also boost the charging stations’ caps from one to two for areas with over 20,000 people and from two to four for areas with over 50,000 people.