DERA LIVES! House votes to fund Diesel Emissions Reduction Act through 2029

This week the US House voted 343-79 to renew funding for the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA), a federal program that helps cover the extra cost of swapping older, heavily-polluting diesel trucks and equipment for cleaner replacements. The bill extends the program through 2029 and authorizes $100 million a year for it. It was sponsored by a bipartisan group of representatives and now heads to the Senate, then the President, before it can become law.

This isn't a program homeowners apply to directly — DERA grants go to fleet operators, municipalities, and similar organizations, not individual households. But it's worth knowing about if diesel trucks, buses, or heavy equipment run through your area, since the program is aimed at cutting the pollution and fuel use tied to those vehicles. Over its two decades running, DERA has helped retire tens of thousands of dirty diesel engines and saved fleets more than 500 million gallons of fuel, which matters more given how high diesel prices have climbed lately.

If you happen to operate a fleet or work with one, your state's EPA office can tell you more about how these grants work locally, since administration varies by state. For most homeowners, though, this is simply a sign that federal support for cleaner heavy-duty vehicles is continuing for a few more years, rather than something that changes what's available for home energy upgrades.