Low-Carbon Transportation Materials Grants Program
On March 12, 2024, FHWA announced $2 billion available to fund low carbon materials that create less pollution by reducing the levels of embodied greenhouse gas emissions, including concrete (and cement), glass, asphalt mix, and steel. In FHWA's Low Carbon Transportation Materials (LCTM) Program $1.2 Billion is available to State Departments of Transportation (including District of Columbia and Puerto Rico) through a Request for Applications (RFA) to fund activities and projects that advance the use of low carbon materials and products. This RFA approach will allow FHWA to quickly provide reimbursement or incentive funds to states to begin eligible activities and incorporate low carbon materials on construction projects now. In the coming months FHWA will also make available $800 million to target non-State applicants, including metropolitan planning organizations, local governments or agencies, Federally recognized tribes, Federal Lands Management Agencies, and other agencies through a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). FHWA encourages non-State applicants to partner with states on applications and projects.
For more information about how to apply for the LCTM funds, please visit https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/lowcarbon/funding.cfm.
The LCTM Informational Webinar was held on April 4, 2024, 2:00PM ET and provided general information on the program to inform potential applicants on the application process and program requirements. Q&A from the webinar will be posted in coming weeks.
- Informational Video
- Presentation (.pdf)
Overview
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) established the Low-Carbon Transportation Materials (LCTM) Grants program which provides funding for the use of construction materials that have substantially lower levels of greenhouse gas emissions. The purpose of the program is to reimburse or provide incentives to eligible recipients for the use, in projects, of construction materials and products that have substantially lower levels of embodied greenhouse gas emissions associated with all relevant stages of production, use, and disposal as compared to estimated industry averages of similar materials or products as determined by the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The program also will help transportation agencies:
- Develop specifications for collecting documentation of a materials embodied greenhouse gas emissions;
- Develop or update technical specifications to allow for use of materials, products, and strategies that result in lower embodied carbon materials;
- Establish a process to identify, verify, and use materials with lower levels of embodied greenhouse gas emissions;
The program is funded through the IRA Section 60506 and codified in 23 U.S.C. 179.
State departments of transportation, metropolitan planning organizations, local governments or agencies, Federally recognized tribes, Federal Lands Management Agencies, and others will be eligible to participate.
Program Goals
- Increase the use of lower carbon materials and products that are used in projects funded under Title 23.
- Facilitate the use of low carbon transportation materials while ensuring appropriateness for use in projects funded under Title 23.
- Facilitate the use of low carbon transportation materials while ensuring adequate engineering performance through an update to relevant agency specifications and development of special provisions, as appropriate.
- Promote technology transfer and enhance workforce development to increase the adoption of environmental quantification techniques used in decision-making by transportation agencies.