Sierra Club will be joining many of our partners next week in celebrating National Drive Electric Week from September 14-22! Initiated in 2011 by Plug-In America, Electric Week has grown to over 325 events globally including events in all 50 states. There will be events in Austin, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Houston, and Dallas, and other communities around Texas. This annual event seeks to heighten awareness of today's widespread availability of all kinds of all-electric and plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles, from motorcycles to cars to vans and even buses.
Think it’s time to Go Electric? You can come talk to owners who have successfully transitioned from fossil-fuel to electric vehicles, learn from vendors of charge stations, and discover other programs that make it easier to save money, reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, and clean up the environment.
Sierra Club is promoting Electric Week nationally while our regional groups in Texas are spearheading their local events. Other sponsors include Nissan Leaf, the Electric Auto Association, and Plug In America. The Texas Electric Transportation Resources Alliance (TxETRA) will be co-sponsoring and attending various Texas events.
Want to help with an event or organize your own? See here for more information on how to attend, volunteer or sponsor. https://driveelectricweek.org/
More State Support for Electric Vehicles
There is more good news coming down the pike for electric vehicles.
First, because of action supported by Sierra Club at the Texas Legislature, Texas Emissions Reduction Plan programs were continued, including rebates for Texas drivers that invest in all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. On September 3, 2019, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) announced the availability of 2020-2021 funding for the Light-Duty Motor Vehicle Purchase or Lease Incentive Program through January 7, 2021:
- TCEQ may award up to 2,000 rebates for electric and hydrogen vehicles (up to $2,500 per vehicle).
- These grants are available statewide on a first-come, first-served basis. You can get more information about how to qualify for a state rebate here.
Second, TCEQ just announced -- again because of action by the Texas Legislature -- the development of criteria for the new Government Alternative Fuel Fleet Grant (GAFF) Program in the coming months. This new program will be open to political subdivisions like cities and counties, school districts, and transit authorities that want to invest in electric vehicles. While the exact criteria and amounts of grants have not yet been determined, keep an eye out for more information in the coming months about how you can get your local government or school district to go electric with money from the state.
Finally, TCEQ has started to make money available to public and private entities through the Volkswagen Settlement, including for electric vehicles fleets. For example, on August 1, 2019, TCEQ announced that it was awarding 11 contracts for bus replacements including one grant for electric buses to Capitol Metro in Austin to replace some transit buses. Further grants are expected soon.
TCEQ has scheduled a series of workshops for the next grant round, which will be for the replacement of refuse vehicles and is expected to be on a first-come, first-served basis. Electric garbage trucks are eligible as part of the VW Settlement Mitigation Plan.
- The Austin workshop is scheduled for September 23, 2019, at 2:00pm at 12100 Park 35 Circle, Building E, 2nd Floor, Room 254S, Austin, TX 78753
- A webinar is scheduled for October 3, 2019, at 2:00pm
- Potential applicants should expect the grant round to open shortly after October 3. For more information, visit www.TexasVWFund.org