Status: Closed
The Sacramento Emergency Clean Air Transportation (SECAT) Program is a partnership between the Sac Metro Air District and the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG). The program's goal is to promote zero emission on-road vehicles based in the SACOG region.
For this solicitation, $9,500,000 will be made available for applicants in the SACOG region. Only zero emission vehicle applications are eligible under this solicitation. The SECAT Program will continue to fund $100,000 per replacement zero emission heavy duty vehicle. New in 2024, government and non-profit organizations can receive up to $35,000 towards the purchase of a light or medium-duty zero emission vehicle.
The solicitation announcement for this funding cycle is available
here. It includes the details for the funding amounts for each vehicle and county. Light duty vehicles can receive up to $20,000. Medium duty vehicles can receive up to $35,000. Heavy duty vehicles will continue to receive up to $100,000. Applicants based in Placer County can only purchase vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating over 6,000 lbs.
Funds may still be combined with HVIP funding. Applications will be reviewed under the traditional first-come, first-served program as described in the Project Selection and Funding section of this document.
The online application for SECAT is available
here.
You can download the SECAT Vehicle Information Excel spreadsheet
here. It is required for all applications and should be completed prior to application.
The SECAT Program no longer funds the purchase of conventional diesel vehicles. Only zero emission vehicles using battery-electric or hydrogen fuel cell technology are eligible. No funding is available to help replace diesel vehicles to comply with the ARB Truck & Bus Regulation. SECAT funded vehicles cannot be used to comply with ARB Advanced Clean Fleet requirements.
Background Information
In 2000, the SECAT Program received $66 million to reduce emissions released from heavy-duty vehicles in the SFNA by providing incentives to offset the costs of purchasing lower-emission technologies and an additional $4 million used by SACOG to help replace old diesel transit buses – totaling $70 million in funding from the state Traffic Congestion Relief Fund ($50 million) and the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funding program ($20 million). This program was originally created by California Assembly Bill (AB) 2511 to help assure that the Sacramento Federal Nonattainment Area (SFNA) would meet its commitments under the State Implementation Plan (SIP) for air quality attainment.
In 2008, the SECAT Program received an additional $3.2 million in federal CMAQ funds with additional allocations on a yearly basis, which will be primarily used for projects that benefit the Sacramento region through improved air quality. Projects will need to demonstrate reductions in oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions, but the program will also result in additional greenhouse gas reductions to meet regional, state, and federal targets.
The SMAQMD now has program and fiscal control of the SECAT program under oversight from SACOG. Agreements funded by SACOG under previous guidelines are now fully administered by the SMAQMD with most covered by the provisions of these guidelines as outlined in the memorandum of agreement between the agencies. Funding will now be allocated to the six counties in the SACOG region based on the population of each county.
The SECAT Program will now encourage the displacement of conventional trucks and buses with zero emission vehicles without scrapping an existing vehicle. This will allow regional fleets to better leverage state and federal grants and promote the technology in the region. As part of other efforts with the SMAQMD and SACOG, these vehicles will play a key role in meeting regional commitments to greenhouse gas and community air protection goals.
For more details about SECAT, please review the guidelines below:
2023 SECAT Guidelines
Application Process
The application period opens on May 9, 2024. Applicants will enter most of the information through the online form found on each program page and upload attachments as needed for each funding stream. Once complete, applicants will receive an email showing their application was received. The Sac Metro Air District recommends that applicants keep a copy of all application records. It is also recommended that applicants use a PDF app for their Apple or Android phones that can convert pictures into PDF to make the process easier.
Projects with an award greater than $1 million will require approval by the Sac Metro Air District Board of Directors. This may delay projects as the board meets monthly.
Applications missing information may be given 30 days to submit any incomplete or ineligible documents. Staff may also request additional information from applicants if needed to evaluate the project. In some cases, the applicant will be offered an award lower than the amount requested in the application or the maximum grant for the project. This reduction is done if the Sac Metro Air District does not have enough funding for the project or staff determines that the application does not qualify for full funding.
If selected for funding, applicants will enter into a funding agreement with the Sac Metro Air District. The agreement will match the individual or business entity listed on the application and Payee Data Record.
Applicants must be compliant with state and local air quality regulations and will be checked. Most agreements have a term of 3 years with annual reporting requirements and penalties for non-compliance. Participants can transfer their agreements to other parties if in the best interest of air quality in the region. On-road vehicle projects require the Sac Metro Air District to be listed a lien holder on the title. These are released at the end of the agreement.
For this solicitation, projects must be delivered within 180 days of approval. All zero emission vehicles funded under this solicitation must be ready for delivery with no delays. This may mean that certain vehicles or technologies may not be eligible for SECAT funding if the estimated delivery is months or years in the future. Applicants should also have charging infrastructure installed at their facility or be able to use existing public charging infrastructure.
Applications not selected for funding will be placed in a pending file for future funding opportunities. If an applicant does not want their application to be held, she or he must contact the Sac Metro Air District to withdraw their application. The Sac Metro Air District may also forward applications to other agencies who may have funding for the project. Please contact staff if you have any questions about the application process.
Please ensure that your application includes the following documents scanned into PDF format to attach to your online application:
Completed Online Incentive Application
Vendor Payee Data Record
Zero Emission Vehicle Price Quote and Specification Sheet
The online application link is available
here. Paper applications will not be accepted. If you have questions regarding the SECAT guidelines, please contact Kristian Damkier, or Gina O'Neal using the links below.