Grant Funding Now Open!
Grant Information
The Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) is requesting applications to fund the purchase of low emission, commercial-grade, lawn and garden equipment to improve air quality in the Denver Metro/North Front Range ozone nonattainment area. Approximately $120,000 is available for funding the replacement of gasoline-powered commercial lawn and garden equipment with battery or propane powered equipment. Funding will be on a first-come-first-served basis with minimum awards of $1,000 and maximum awards of $15,000 per entity. Entities interested in receiving grant funding must apply for and be awarded funding before purchasing eligible equipment. No equipment will be funded retroactively.
Eligible Entities: Eligible entities include the following public entities located in the ozone nonattainment area: local governments, schools and universities, state agencies, parks and recreation special districts, and private contractors who are contracted to provide services for these entities.
Funding: The grant can cover up to 50% of the purchase price of battery electric handheld equipment, batteries, and chargers. Additionally, it can fund $2,000 towards the purchase of battery-powered commercial grade lawn mowers and/or $1,000 towards the purchase of a propane powered commercial grade lawn mower. Entities interested in receiving grant funding must apply for and be awarded funding before purchasing eligible equipment. No equipment will be funded retroactively. For additional information on propane conversions please reference the program overview document (linked below).
Timing: Fall 2017 – Fall 2018. This program will be open beginning Fall 2017 and will remain open until the end of 2018 or when funding is fully expended, whichever occurs first. The online application will be open continuously during this time until funding is expended.
Application Materials
All applications must be completed and submitted online at the link below. Applicants should print the completed online application and keep a copy on file. For preparation purposes, a Word formatted application can also be found below.
Funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The online application is currently open and accepting applications as of November 6th, 2017. The online application will remain open and accept new applications as long as funding is still available.
Program Overview (Please read prior to beginning application)
Online Application
Program Resources
Additional Funding Opportunities
Up to $1,000 per mower is also available through the Propane Education and Research Council (PERC) for new propane mowers and $500 per mower for propane conversions. This funding may be combined with RAQC grant funds.
Please contact Kaylyn Bopp with any additional questions
The Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) would like to thank all of the individuals and organizations who made the 3LG (Local Government, Lawn & Garden, Low-Emission Grant) event such a success!
In addition, we would also like to thank the following organizations for participating in our Low Emission & Industry Panel discussions:
To access presentations from the event, please click on the presenter’s name below. Copies of the agenda, and speaker biographies are also available.
Amanda Brimmer
Regional Air Quality Council
Mike Brunkhardt
City of Fort Collins
Kaylyn Bopp
Regional Air Quality Council
Tom Thompson
Forest Preserves of Cook County
Andrew Johnson
Stihl
Larry Osgood
Colorado Propane Association
Aaron Boggs
University of Louisville
Air Quality Overview
The Denver Metro/North Front Range is part of a 9-county area that does not meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) national standard (NAAQS) for ozone. As a nonattainment area, the region has to implement various planning measures to reduce emissions and bring ozone down.
In 2017, the State of Colorado submitted a State Implementation Plan (SIP) to EPA showing how the region would meet the federal standard. Part of this plan included an emissions inventory of pollutants that contribute to the formation of ozone. There are estimated to be over 260,000 pieces of gasoline powered commercial lawn and garden equipment in the nonattainment area. The chart below shows the percent contribution of commercial lawn and garden equipment to the total emissions inventory in 2017.
