State Programs & Grants
Electrification Programs Available
Office Innovative Mobility Grants - Electrification and Energy
The Electrification and Energy Grant contain two funding opportunities:
- ZEV Workforce Development - To develop and attract the skills and talent necessary to meet the changing demands of the transportation electrification sector. This grant addresses multiple challenges that Colorado and the wider mobility and electrification industry are facing: talent shortages, gaps in new skillsets, and the growing need for training due to technological advances.
- E-Mobility Education and Awareness - To expand public awareness and education around EVs and increase public understanding of their benefits, capabilities, and availability.
The Clean Transit Enterprise
This enterprise is created within the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to support public transit electrification planning efforts, facility upgrades, fleet motor vehicle replacement, as well as construction and development of electric motor vehicle charging and fueling infrastructure. The bill allows the enterprise to impose a clean transit retail delivery fee to fund its operations and to issue grants, loans, or rebates to support the electrification of public transit. Click the button below for more information.
Charge Ahead Colorado
The Charge Ahead Colorado Program is a joint effort of the Colorado Energy Office and the Regional Air Quality Council that was established in 2013. Funded through the Colorado Electric Vehicle Grant Fund, the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program, and Volkswagen Settlement funds, Charge Ahead supports the purchase and installation of electric vehicle charging equipment at public buildings, workplaces, retail locations, and other sites statewide. Since its inception, the program has made awards for more than 930 electric vehicle charging stations across Colorado.
DCFC Plazas Program
Developed in partnership with the Colorado Energy Office (CEO), the Direct Current Fast-Charging (DCFC) Plazas program is designed to increase access to high-speed charging in communities and along highway corridors across Colorado. The DCFC Plazas program is funded through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program and the Community Access Enterprise (CAE). Visit the DCFC Plazas webpage for further information.
Clean Fleet Enterprise
Section 11 of Colorado Senate Bill 21-260 (Sustainability of the Transportation System) creates a clean fleet enterprise within the Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) for the business purpose of incentivizing and supporting the use of electric motor vehicles and other clean fleet technologies by owners and operators of motor vehicle fleets.
The clean fleet enterprise is authorized to impose a clean fleet retail delivery fee to be paid by the purchaser of tangible personal property delivered to the purchaser by motor vehicle and a clean fleet per ride fee to be paid by a transportation network company (TNC) on each ride offered and accepted by the TNC to fund the clean fleet enterprise's business purpose. Visit the Clean Fleet Enterprise webpage for further information.
Community Access Enterprise
Run by the Colorado Energy Office, the Community Access Enterprise supports the widespread adoption of electric motor vehicles, equitably invests in transportation infrastructure, and incentivizes the acquisition and use of electric motor vehicles and electric alternatives to motor vehicles. Over the first decade, the Community Access Enterprise is expected to receive approximately $310 million to support electric vehicle (EV) charging and hydrogen fueling infrastructure and low and moderate-income adoption of EVs and electric bicycles. Visit the Community Access Enterprise webpage for further information.
Volkswagen Diesel Emissions Settlement
The State of Colorado will receive over $68.7 million from a settlement with the car manufacturer Volkswagen Group of America. Administered through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and guided by the Beneficiary Mitigation Plan, the settlement funds have been directed to five eligible mitigation actions:
- Electric vehicle charging equipment
- Transit bus replacements
- Medium and heavy duty vehicle replacements
- Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) Program
- Administrative costs
Consolidated Call for Capital Projects
Channeled through the Division of Transit and Rail's Consolidated Call for Capital Projects (CCCP) application, funding for zero-emission fueled transit vehicles has been made available using funds from the Volkswagen Settlement Trust.
As part of its annual CCCP application process, the Division of Transit and Rail distributes funding from the Volkswagen Settlement Trust to support the replacement of zero-emission fueled transit vehicles. To date, the program has provided over $40 million to support the replacement of transit buses and the construction of EV charging infrastructure.
Consolidated Call for Capital Projects Program InformationDOLA Renewable & Clean Energy Challenge
In 2019, the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) launched a catalytic Renewable/Clean Energy Challenge grant program to spark efforts in reaching Colorado's goal of 100% renewable energy by 2040. Providing funds for both planning and implementation, the program supports projects that:
- Achieve renewable energy, energy efficiency, and energy conservation efforts.
- Support innovations in renewable energy.
- Achieve multiple objectives and/or serve those with the greatest need.
- Develop plans, studies, and policies that further long-term, large-scale renewable energy generation and conservation.
Recharge Colorado
The Colorado Energy Office's ReCharge Colorado program works to advance the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and installation of charging infrastructure in Colorado.
ReCharge Colorado Coaches provide coaching services for EVs and infrastructure development in every county in the state. ReCharge Coaches help consumers, local governments, workplaces and multiunit housing developments identify monetary savings, grant opportunities and other advantages related to deploying EVs and charging infrastructure.
