What Is Zero-Emissions Transportation?

Authored by Baker Tilly’s Michelle Isenhouer Hanlin and Jack Prill

The Clean Communities Investment Accelerator (CCIA) program, one of three financing programs under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, seeks to increase the clean energy financing capacity of community lenders working in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy clean energy projects.

What is zero-emissions transportation?

The CCIA Zero-Emissions Transportation initiative supports projects, activities, and technologies that deploy zero-emissions transportation modes or supporting infrastructure in disadvantaged communities. Zero-emissions transportation refers to eliminating or offsetting emissions from all modes of transportation so that the total carbon emissions equal the amount removed from the atmosphere. Investments in zero-emissions transportation modes listed in the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization may be eligible for low-cost capital and technical assistance.

What projects qualify?

All qualifying projects must meet the criteria listed below and must be in a low-income and disadvantaged community.

1. The project must reduce or avoid greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or other air pollutants. The project, activity, or technology may reduce or avoid such emissions through its own performance or by assisting communities in their efforts to deploy projects, activities or technologies that reduce or avoid such emissions.
2. The project must deliver additional benefits to communities within clean transportation such as job creation.
3. The project must not have otherwise been financed, mobilize private capital and support commercial technologies.

Example project types

A variety of projects can qualify. Example project types include:

• Zero-emissions light-duty vehicles
  • Battery electric vehicles (EVs) (not including plug-in hybrids or hybrid EVs)
  • Fuel cell EVs
• Zero-emissions medium and heavy-duty trucks and buses
• Fleet electrification projects
• Electric vehicle chargers
• Zero-emissions fueling stations
  • Chargers and/or other infrastructure to support zero-emissions micromobility options (e.g., electric bikes and scooters)
  • Chargers and/or other infrastructure to support zero-emissions light-duty vehicles for individuals and families or medium and heavy-duty vehicles for businesses and/or farm
  • Charging and/or refueling depots for zero-emissions school buses, trucks or public transportation vehicles
• Enabling infrastructure for zero-emissions transportation to improve walkability or bikeability
• Small-scale infrastructure to improve walkability and bikeability

What is a low-income and disadvantaged community?

Low-income and disadvantaged communities are defined as:

• Located in a census tract identified as disadvantaged by the CEJST mapping tool or EJ screen mapping tool,
• Geographically dispersed low-income households with incomes below 80% of the area median income (AMI) or 200% of federal poverty level, or
• Properties providing affordable housing (either federal affordable housing properties or buildings serving a majority of households with income less than 80% AMI).

Start here

Achieving zero-emissions transportation in disadvantaged communities is a crucial step towards a sustainable future. By leveraging CCIA funding for Zero-Emissions Transportation projects, you can access the necessary resources and support to make impactful changes.

Contact a Baker Tilly specialist today to discover how your project can qualify for low-cost capital and technical assistance.