Engine Technology Forum applauds legislation to reauthorize Diesel Emissions Reduction Act

The Engine Technology Forum thanked a bipartisan group of four U.S. representatives for introducing legislation—HR 2140—in the House of Representatives that, if passed, would reauthorize the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act.

“The DERA program is widely considered one of the federal government’s most successful, cost-effective and bipartisan programs that benefits every state and thousands of small businesses,” said Allen Schaeffer, ETF’s executive director.

In its fifth report to Congress, the U.S. EPA estimated the program has upgraded over 74,000 heavy-duty vehicles or pieces of off-road equipment and saved more than 520 million gallons of fuel, Schaeffer noted.  

The DERA program has funded a vast array of projects, according to ETF, including upgrades in the school-bus sector (43 percent), freight/trucking (36 percent), construction (7 percent), ports (5 percent), municipal (3 percent), as well as agriculture, airport and transit sectors, he said.

“We look forward to working with leaders in both the House and Senate to ensure that this beneficial program can continue to help transition from older technology and put the newest generation of advanced diesel, natural gas, propane and other technologies in service,” Schaeffer said.

The novel program achieves these benefits by requiring significant nonfederal matching funds for projects seeking federal funding.

The EPA estimates every $1 in federal assistance is met with another $3 in nonfederal matching funds, including significant investments from the private sector, and generates $5 to $21 in economic and health benefits.

“The DERA grant program is highly competitive and technology neutral,” Schaeffer said.

According to EPA, since DERA was last reauthorized in 2020, approximately 64 percent of grants awarded have partially or entirely funded diesel vehicle or engine replacements while 12 percent have partially or entirely funded electric-vehicle projects.

The remaining 24 percent of the awarded grants entirely funded alternative-fuel vehicle or engine replacements.

“DERA is uniquely the only federal-funding support to address categories of off-road engines and equipment—including marine work boats, railroad locomotives and material-handling equipment—all of which are commonly among the oldest in use,” Schaeffer said.

Approximately 30 percent of heavy-duty commercial trucks on the road are of older generations without the benefit of new emissions-control technology now standard on trucks, he added.

“Every state benefits from DERA as 30 percent of the funding goes to support individual state programs,” Schaeffer said. “The awarded DERA projects translate into approximately $8 billion in monetized health benefits and a return of over $10 in benefits for every $1 of investment gained from the $629 million in DERA funding awards between fiscal-year 2008 and fiscal-year 2018. The program has reduced 16,800 tons of emissions of particulate matter and 491,000 tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx).”

The legislation was introduced by Reps. Doris Matsui, D-California; Ken Calvert, R-California; Chellie Pingree, D-Maine; and Nick Langworthy, R-New York.