As a follow-up to the previous post, I just got an email that included this:
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has received a sufficient number of applications to award the money allocated this fiscal year to grants under the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) Rebate Grants Program. Therefore, the rebate grant round is closed and applications will no longer be accepted for this application period.
Successful applicants will be provided a signed contract soon. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified in writing over the next several weeks.
And then this:
New funding opportunities will be available in early 2010, including a special rebate grant round funded through a federal grant. New grant information will be posted on our Web site at www.terpgrants.org as details become available.
For the most part that isn't anything new, but I wasn't sure if the ERIG round previously mentioned would be accompanied by a rebate round. It sounds like it will and the money will be supplied by the feds. Who knows, maybe those are stimulus dollars like the ones that helped fund the round we have going with the NCTCOG right now.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Rebate Funds Exhausted For This Round
I just got off the phone with the state. They had not updated their remaining funds graphic on their website since 11/25/09 and it said they still had $3.3 million or so left, but that figure is no longer accurate.
They should be updating it soon, but if you're planning to file on a rebate grant you've missed your chance for this round. As of now they've committed all the funds.
You next chance is to file an application on the ERIG round that is supposed to be coming up in February or March of 2010.
If you tend to use your equipment a significant amount each year then the ERIG is a better choice for you anyway. The main drawback is that you commit to that number of hours and are expected to run the machine that much over the life of the grant term.
They should be updating it soon, but if you're planning to file on a rebate grant you've missed your chance for this round. As of now they've committed all the funds.
You next chance is to file an application on the ERIG round that is supposed to be coming up in February or March of 2010.
If you tend to use your equipment a significant amount each year then the ERIG is a better choice for you anyway. The main drawback is that you commit to that number of hours and are expected to run the machine that much over the life of the grant term.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Rebate Grant Money Remaining
$4,531,444 as of today so you can see the direction this is going.
Unless there's a change we're looking at 1-2 weeks left at the current rate unless they increase the funding available. That's not unheard of, but unlikely. I haven't heard any indication this will happen.
If you are wanting to apply for a grant then your next chance after this money runs out will be the ERIG round that is expected to open in February or March.
If you run your current piece of heavy equipment 2,000 hours or so a year it would be worth your while to wait for that round anyway. The rebate grants shine if you're replacing a unit that runs less.
Unless there's a change we're looking at 1-2 weeks left at the current rate unless they increase the funding available. That's not unheard of, but unlikely. I haven't heard any indication this will happen.
If you are wanting to apply for a grant then your next chance after this money runs out will be the ERIG round that is expected to open in February or March.
If you run your current piece of heavy equipment 2,000 hours or so a year it would be worth your while to wait for that round anyway. The rebate grants shine if you're replacing a unit that runs less.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Rebate Grant Funds Remaining - UPDATE
As of today: $8,638,579
That money is going at a pretty good clip when you look at the earlier post that still had around $16 million.
That money is going at a pretty good clip when you look at the earlier post that still had around $16 million.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
What Does Tier 3 Look Like?
Just a visual to help grasp what we're working to accomplish - in addition to getting our customers grant money.
We are a Donaldson filter dealer and while going through their website our Product Support Sales Manager saw this file and forwarded it to the in-house TERP geek, me.
It shows a comparison of particulates released by diesel engines at different tier levels. The top image is on-road and the bottom one applies to off-road like the equipment we sell.
When talking about minute particulates released into the air it is nice to have a visual aid.
We are a Donaldson filter dealer and while going through their website our Product Support Sales Manager saw this file and forwarded it to the in-house TERP geek, me.
It shows a comparison of particulates released by diesel engines at different tier levels. The top image is on-road and the bottom one applies to off-road like the equipment we sell.
When talking about minute particulates released into the air it is nice to have a visual aid.
Watching Those Rebate Grant Funds
The current TERP Rebate Grant round will end at the end of next March or when they run out of funds, whichever comes first. As of 11/2/09 they had a shade under $16 million left.
It will be interesting to watch the rate the funds are awarded. On the one hand it's free money, but I also wonder if most of the low-hanging fruit has already been picked. That's to say, have most of the people who best fit as applicants, who understand the program and who are willing to buy already filed for what they need? Very wait-and-see.
The Rebate Grants don't saddle heavy equipment owners with a requirement of annual hours of use which sounds pretty appealing given the current economic outlook. They also have a shorter turnaround time to funding.
They also do not match the dollar value if your machines run 2,000 hours each year.
The next ERIG round is supposed to be in February or March of 2010. They normally give applicants a 3-month window to submit then take 2-3 months reviewing. If you wait until signing a Notice to Proceed to take possession of a piece that could mean taking ownership in the last quarter of 2010.
Since the Rebate and ERIG rounds are not running concurrently this time I wonder if they plan to stagger them in the future to spread out the administrative workload and to have some kind of grant round open to applicants most months of the year.
It will be interesting to watch the rate the funds are awarded. On the one hand it's free money, but I also wonder if most of the low-hanging fruit has already been picked. That's to say, have most of the people who best fit as applicants, who understand the program and who are willing to buy already filed for what they need? Very wait-and-see.
The Rebate Grants don't saddle heavy equipment owners with a requirement of annual hours of use which sounds pretty appealing given the current economic outlook. They also have a shorter turnaround time to funding.
They also do not match the dollar value if your machines run 2,000 hours each year.
The next ERIG round is supposed to be in February or March of 2010. They normally give applicants a 3-month window to submit then take 2-3 months reviewing. If you wait until signing a Notice to Proceed to take possession of a piece that could mean taking ownership in the last quarter of 2010.
Since the Rebate and ERIG rounds are not running concurrently this time I wonder if they plan to stagger them in the future to spread out the administrative workload and to have some kind of grant round open to applicants most months of the year.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Quick Note on Rebate Grants and Rollers
We filed TERP applications in the past for people wanting to replace dirt or asphalt rollers, but they make up a smaller percentage of what we submit.
One problem is that they often run fewer hours of annual operation which is a key variable in the ERIG grant formula. Sometimes the dollars are still worth it, but not as often as we'd like.
With the rebate grant round opening we've had some interest in trying that approach from roller customers, but there's a problem. The rebate grant round has a list of machine types that are accepted and rollers are not on the list.
I don't have any official statement to reference, but I'm pretty sure that's by design. Since rollers tend to operate fewer hours a year and rebate grants do not factor that in (they use set charts) I think the state would feel like they were overpaying on those grants.
The TCEQ has talked of an ERIG round opening early next Spring so potential roller applicants may want to run an estimate now to see if that would be a worthwhile effort. It's understandably not the news some would like to hear.
One problem is that they often run fewer hours of annual operation which is a key variable in the ERIG grant formula. Sometimes the dollars are still worth it, but not as often as we'd like.
With the rebate grant round opening we've had some interest in trying that approach from roller customers, but there's a problem. The rebate grant round has a list of machine types that are accepted and rollers are not on the list.
I don't have any official statement to reference, but I'm pretty sure that's by design. Since rollers tend to operate fewer hours a year and rebate grants do not factor that in (they use set charts) I think the state would feel like they were overpaying on those grants.
The TCEQ has talked of an ERIG round opening early next Spring so potential roller applicants may want to run an estimate now to see if that would be a worthwhile effort. It's understandably not the news some would like to hear.
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