Funding: Total: $6,000,000. Maximum awards: $3M.
Dates: Online Bidders’ Conference: November 18, 2020. Application Submission Deadline: January 15, 2021.
Summary:
To reduce air pollutant emissions generated at Inland Empire freight facilities, the MSRC Clean Transportation Funding™ Program is seeking to partner with owners and/or operators of warehouses, distribution centers, logistics facilities, and intermodal hubs located in Riverside or San Bernardino county to implement air pollution reduction strategies that reduce emissions generated during shipping container movement and bulk material processing. MSRC Clean Transportation Funding™ is available to partially offset the cost of acquiring zero or near-zero emission cargo handling equipment and supporting infrastructure.
Project Topic Areas:
This RFP seeks proposals for the acquisition of heavy-duty zero or near-zero emission cargo handling equipment and supporting infrastructure used to move shipping containers or bulk material onsite at freight facilities in the Inland Empire. The following vehicles and supporting infrastructure are eligible to receive MSRC Clean Transportation Funding™:
Off-Road Zero or Near-Zero Emission Cargo Handling Equipment
Purchase and deploy into revenue service off-road heavy-duty cargo handling equipment that are zero-emission or equipped with a near-zero emission engine. This would include, but is not necessarily limited to, zero and near-zero emission yard tractors (hostlers), top picks, side loaders, and other types of equipment typically used to reposition shipping containers or bulk commodities at an Inland Empire freight facility. Under this RFP, “zero emission” is defined as having no tailpipe emissions and includes battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell technologies. “Near-zero” includes engines certified to the CARB Optional Low-NOx standard of 0.02 grams per brake horsepower-hour.
Facility Electrification to Support Zero Emission Off-Road Cargo Handling Equipment
Design, perform site modifications, and install Electric Vehicle Support Equipment (EVSE) to allow onsite recharging of battery electric on-road trucks or off-road cargo handling equipment. For the purpose of this RFP, “EVSE” includes vehicle chargers, solar canopies used in conjunction with EV charging, charge management system hardware, and energy storage system hardware.
Onsite Renewable Natural Gas Refueling Infrastructure
Design, perform site modifications, and install natural gas refueling infrastructure to allow onsite fueling of near-zero emission natural gas off-road cargo handling equipment or on-road natural gas trucks that dray to the freight facility. The use of renewable natural gas is required.
Onsite Hydrogen Refueling infrastructure
Design, perform site modifications, and install hydrogen refueling infrastructure to allow fueling of hydrogen fuel cell off-road cargo handling equipment or on-road fuel cell trucks that dray to the freight facility.
Funding:
The total amount of MSRC Clean Transportation Funding™ allocated for this Program is $6M. Funding will be awarded on a competitive basis. The maximum funding award to any entity under this RFP shall not exceed 50% of the total available funding, or a current maximum award amount of $3M. This maximum funding restriction can be waived by the MSRC in the event the MSRC does not receive meritorious proposals from other bidders or if the MSRC allocates additional funds to the program.
Project Requirements:
MSRC funds will be distributed on a reimbursement basis only upon completion of approved project tasks and submission of all required reports and invoices; MSRC funds are not intended to fund staff salaries or administrative costs; Funding provided under this RFP opportunity cannot be comingled with funds from any other MSRC Program, i.e., no “double dipping”; Finally, in accordance with state law, all projects awarded MSRC Clean Transportation Funding™ are subject to audit. The provisions of the audit are discussed in the Sample Contract, attached to this RFP. It is highly recommended that bidders employ Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) when administering their MSRC co-funded project.
A proposal may request funding for Infrastructure-Only, either EVSE, renewable natural gas, or hydrogen refueling equipment. However, the proposer must demonstrate that vehicles intended to utilize the MSRC-funded infrastructure have been or are in the process of being acquired, or identify a specific fleet that will commit to utilize the MSRC-funded infrastructure once commissioned. Documentation will be required to confirm that: a) vehicle acquisition has been initiated; or b) a refueling agreement is in place with an identified fleet prior to contract execution by the MSRC of an Infrastructure-Only funding award. Vehicles and infrastructure receiving MSRC funds are required to be retained by the awardee for a minimum of five (5) years from the date MSRC co-funded vehicles or infrastructure enters revenue service.
Eligible Applicants:
Eligible bidders include owners or lessees of freight facilities located in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. For the purposes of this RFP, freight facilities include warehouse, distribution, logistics, and intermodal transportation hubs that receive containerized goods or bulk materials.