The EPA is issuing this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) to announce the availability of funds and solicit applications from eligible entities to conduct climate and air quality planning activities under the EPA’s Clean Ports Program. The EPA’s Clean Ports Program will fund climate and air quality planning activities at United States ports – including emissions inventories, strategy analysis, community engagement, and resiliency measure identification – that will build the capacity of port stakeholders to continue to reduce pollution and transition to zero-emissions (ZE) operations over time. This new funding opportunity, made possible by funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, builds on the EPA’s Ports Initiative, an ongoing program that helps our nation’s ports, a critical part of our infrastructure and supply chain, address public health and environmental impacts on surrounding communities.

The EPA’s goals for the Clean Ports Program are to:

1. build a foundation for ports across the country to transition to fully ZE operations, positioning ports to serve as a catalyst for transformational change across the freight sector;
2. reduce mobile source pollution in near-port communities, especially disadvantaged communities; and
3. help ensure that meaningful community engagement and emissions reduction planning are port industry standard practices.

The Climate and Air Quality Planning Competition is designed to fund climate and air quality planning activities focused on one or more ports that fall under the categories of:

1. emissions inventory and accounting exercises,
2. strategy analysis and goal setting,
3. stakeholder collaboration and communication, and
4. resilience planning.

Note that all applicants are required to include one or more emissions inventory and accounting exercises as part of the project. Applicants are also encouraged, but not required, to include activities in (2)-(4). Note also that selected applicants will be expected to engage with communities about the project and publicly share a detailed written summary of the results of the planning activities.

The Clean Ports Program will also fund ZE port equipment and infrastructure as part of a separate NOFO to reduce mobile source emissions (criteria pollutants, air toxics, and/or greenhouse gases) at United States ports, delivering cleaner air for communities across the country.