Repower, Replace – Breathe Easier

GRADE+ grants make for an excellent opportunity for you to reduce maintenance costs and extend the life of your equipment while breathing easier financially.  By repowering or replacing old, high-emitting diesel engines with newer engines, models and technology that are certified by the EPA to meet a more stringent emission standard, we anticipate achieving over 369 tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx) reductions in our bi-state region over the next five years.

Making The GRADE

GRADE (Grants to Replace Aging Diesel Engines) was first launched in 2007 in a seven-county region to provide incentive funding to organizations that replaced or repowered Heavy Duty Non-Road Construction Equipment. Mecklenburg County Air Quality (MCAQ), a local air quality agency whose goal is to improve ambient air quality in the region and reduce exposure to unhealthy airborne pollutants, strives to maintain progress toward attainment of National Ambient Air Quality Standards by limiting and reducing emissions. Based on the success of GRADE and the programs that followed, GRADE+ now includes up to 13 counties in North and South Carolina and has been expanded to include Construction, Agricultural, Industrial and Commercial sectors operating Non-Road Diesel, On-Road Heavy Duty Diesel and Stationary Diesel Equipment. Current funding is only for specific non-road construction equipment operating in NC's 7-county non attainment region.

Interested In GRADE+ Grants?

If you own or your company owns Non-Road Diesel, On-Road Heavy Duty Diesel or Stationary Diesel Equipment in the 13-county, bi-state region, this is your opportunity to take advantage of GRADE+ funds to repower or replace your equipment.

TO APPLY FOR A GRADE+ GRANT, simply review eligibility and preliminary requirements, and complete your application.

Note: Applications are currently being accepted for non-road equipment used for transportation infrastructure construction and maintenance.