§179 Low-carbon Transportation Materials Grants

Summary

Provides $2,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2022, available until September 30, 2026, to the Federal Highway Administration to pay or give incentives to people or agencies that use construction materials with much lower greenhouse gas emissions than normal industry averages, as identified by the EPA Administrator. The money can also pay for FHWA to run the program. The FHWA Administrator may, if funds are available, either pay the extra cost of using those low‑carbon materials (the amount above traditional materials, as reported by the recipient and checked by the Administrator) or give an incentive equal to 2 percent of the cost of the low‑carbon materials on a project. If a payment or incentive is given, the federal share of that project may be up to 100 percent. Payments are only for projects on Federal‑aid highways, tribal transportation facilities, Federal lands transportation facilities, or Federal lands access transportation facilities. Funds cannot be used for projects that add through travel lanes for single‑occupant passenger vehicles. FHWA will review EPA‑identified materials and pick which are suitable and eligible. The law defines Administrator as the FHWA Administrator; eligible recipients include states, local governments, political subdivisions, U.S. territories, certain other named entities, and public transportation authorities; and greenhouse gas means carbon dioxide, hydrofluorocarbons, methane, nitrous oxide, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride.