Fostering and Realizing Electrification by Encouraging Zero Emission Refrigeration Trucks Act of 2021
Bill: S.432 | Sponsor: Sen. Markey, Edward J. (D-MA)
Policy area: Environmental Protection

Summary:
Fostering and Realizing Electrification by Encouraging Zero Emission Refrigeration Trucks Act of 2021 or the FREEZER Trucks Act of 2021
This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a pilot program to award grants, rebates, or low-cost revolving loans for electrifying or retiring diesel-powered transport refrigeration units in certain heavy-duty vehicles (e.g., commercial trucks).

To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to 
 carry out a pilot program to award grants for the electrification of 
         certain refrigerated vehicles, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Fostering and Realizing 
Electrification by Encouraging Zero Emission Refrigeration Trucks Act 
of 2021'' or the ``FREEZER Trucks Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM FOR THE ELECTRIFICATION OF CERTAIN REFRIGERATED 
              VEHICLES.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
            (2) Diesel-powered transport refrigeration unit.--The term 
        ``diesel-powered transport refrigeration unit'' means a 
        transport refrigeration unit that is powered by an independent 
        diesel internal combustion engine.
            (3) Electric transport refrigeration unit.--The term 
        ``electric transport refrigeration unit'' means a transport 
        refrigeration unit in which the refrigeration or climate-
        control system is driven by an electric motor when connected to 
        shore power infrastructure or other equipment that enables 
        transport refrigeration units to connect to electric power, 
        including all-electric transport refrigeration units, hybrid 
        electric transport refrigeration units, and standby electric 
        transport refrigeration units.
            (4) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
                    (A) a regional, State, local, or Tribal agency, or 
                a port authority, with jurisdiction over transportation 
                or air quality;
                    (B) a nonprofit organization or institution that--
                            (i) represents, or provides pollution 
                        reduction or educational services to, 
                        individuals or organizations that own or 
                        operate heavy-duty vehicles or fleets of heavy-
                        duty vehicles; or
                            (ii) has, as the principal purpose of the 
                        organization or institution, the promotion of 
                        air quality;
                    (C) an individual or entity that is the owner of 
                record of a heavy-duty vehicle or a fleet of heavy-duty 
                vehicles that operates for the transportation and 
                delivery of perishable goods or other goods requiring 
                climate-controlled conditions;
                    (D) an individual or entity that is the owner of 
                record of a facility that operates as a warehouse or 
                storage facility for perishable goods or other goods 
                requiring climate-controlled conditions; and
                    (E) a hospital or public health institution that 
                utilizes refrigeration for storage of perishable goods 
                or other goods requiring climate-controlled conditions.
            (5) Heavy-duty vehicle.--The term ``heavy-duty vehicle'' 
        means--
                    (A) a commercial truck or van--
                            (i) used for the primary purpose of 
                        transporting perishable goods or other goods 
                        requiring climate-controlled conditions; and
                            (ii) with a gross vehicle weight rating 
                        greater than 6,000 pounds; and
                    (B) an insulated cargo trailer used in transporting 
                perishable goods or other goods requiring climate-
                controlled conditions when mounted on a semitrailer.
            (6) Pilot program.--The term ``pilot program'' means the 
        pilot program established under subsection (b).
            (7) Shore power infrastructure.--The term ``shore power 
        infrastructure'' means electrical infrastructure that provides 
        power to the electric transport refrigeration unit of a heavy-
        duty vehicle when the heavy-duty vehicle is stationary on a 
        property where the heavy-duty vehicle is parked or loaded, 
        including a food distribution center or other location where 
        heavy-duty vehicles congregate.
            (8) Transport refrigeration unit.--The term ``transport 
        refrigeration unit'' means a climate-control system installed 
        on a heavy-duty vehicle for the purpose of maintaining the 
        quality of perishable goods or other goods requiring climate-
        controlled conditions.
    (b) Establishment of Pilot Program.--The Administrator shall 
establish a pilot program to award funds, in the form of grants, 
rebates, and low-cost revolving loans, as determined appropriate by the 
Administrator, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to carry 
out projects described in subsection (c).
    (c) Projects.--An eligible entity receiving an award of funds under 
the pilot program may use those funds only for 1 or more of the 
following projects:
            (1) Transport refrigeration unit replacement.--A project to 
        retrofit a heavy-duty vehicle by--
                    (A) replacing or retrofitting an existing diesel-
                powered transport refrigeration unit in the heavy-duty 
                vehicle with an electric transport refrigeration unit; 
                and
                    (B) retiring the replaced diesel-powered transport 
                refrigeration unit for scrappage.
            (2) Shore power infrastructure.--A project to purchase and 
        install shore power infrastructure or other equipment that 
        enables transport refrigeration units to connect to electric 
        power and operate without using diesel fuel.
    (d) Maximum Amounts.--The amount of an award of funds under the 
pilot program to an eligible entity shall not exceed--
            (1) with respect to the costs of a project described in 
        subsection (c)(1), 75 percent of those costs; and
            (2) with respect to the costs of a project described in 
        subsection (c)(2), 55 percent of those costs.
    (e) Applications.--To be eligible to receive an award of funds 
under the pilot program, an eligible entity shall submit to the 
Administrator an application at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Administrator may require, 
including--
            (1) a description of the air quality in the area served by 
        the eligible entity, including a description of how the air 
        quality is affected by diesel emissions from heavy-duty 
        vehicles;
            (2) a description of the project proposed to be carried out 
        by the eligible entity, including--
                    (A) any technology to be used or funded by the 
                eligible entity; and
                    (B) a description of the heavy-duty vehicle or 
                vehicles of the eligible entity that will be 
                retrofitted, if any, including--
                            (i) the number of those heavy-duty 
                        vehicles;
                            (ii) the uses of those heavy-duty vehicles;
                            (iii) the locations where those heavy-duty 
                        vehicles dock for the purpose of loading or 
                        unloading; and
                            (iv) the routes driven by those heavy-duty 
                        vehicles, including the times at which those 
                        heavy-duty vehicles are driven;
            (3) an estimate of the cost of the project proposed to be 
        carried out by the eligible entity;
            (4) a description of the age and expected lifetime control 
        of the equipment used or funded by the eligible entity; and
            (5) a description of the provisions for the monitoring and 
        verification of the project proposed to be carried out by the 
        eligible entity, including to verify the scrappage of any 
        replaced diesel-powered transport refrigeration units.
    (f) Priority.--In awarding funds under the pilot program, the 
Administrator shall give priority to proposed projects that, as 
determined by the Administrator--
            (1) maximize public health benefits;
            (2) are the most cost-effective; and
            (3) will serve the communities that are most polluted by 
        diesel motor emissions, including communities that the 
        Administrator identifies as being in either nonattainment or 
        maintenance of the national ambient air quality standards for a 
        criteria pollutant under section 109 of the Clean Air Act (42 
        U.S.C. 7409), particularly for--
                    (A) ozone; and
                    (B) particulate matter.
    (g) Data Release.--Not later than 120 days after the date on which 
an award of funds is made under the pilot program, the Administrator 
shall publish on the website of the Environmental Protection Agency, in 
a downloadable electronic database, information with respect to that 
award of funds, including--
            (1) the name and location of the recipient;
            (2) the total amount of funds awarded;
            (3) the intended use or uses of the awarded funds;
            (4) the date on which the award of funds was approved;
            (5) if applicable, an estimate of any air pollution or 
        greenhouse gas emissions avoided as a result of the project 
        funded by the award; and
            (6) any other data the Administrator determines to be 
        necessary for an evaluation of the use and effect of awarded 
        funds provided under the pilot program.
    (h) Reports to Congress.--
            (1) Annual report to congress.--Not later than 1 year after 
        the date of the establishment of the pilot program, and 
        annually thereafter until the amounts made available to carry 
        out this section are fully expended, the Administrator shall 
        submit to Congress and make available to the public a report 
        that describes, with respect to the applicable year--
                    (A) the number of applications for awards of funds 
                received under the pilot program;
                    (B) all awards of funds made under the pilot 
                program, including a summary of the data described in 
                subsection (g);
                    (C) the estimated reduction of annual emissions of 
                air pollutants regulated under section 109 of the Clean 
                Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7409) and greenhouse gas emissions 
                that is associated with the awards of funds made under 
                the pilot program;
                    (D) the number of awards of funds made under the 
                pilot program for projects that serve communities 
                described in subsection (f)(3); and
                    (E) any other data the Administrator determines to 
                be necessary to describe the implementation, outcomes, 
                or effectiveness of the pilot program.
            (2) Final report.--
                    (A) In general.--The Administrator shall submit to 
                Congress and make available to the public a report 
                containing the information described in subparagraph 
                (B) on the date that is the earlier of--
                            (i) the date that is 1 year after the date 
                        on which the amounts made available to carry 
                        out this section are fully expended; and
                            (ii) the date that is 5 years after the 
                        date on which the pilot program is established.
                    (B) Information described.--The information 
                referred to in subparagraph (A) is--
                            (i) all of the information collected for 
                        the annual reports under paragraph (1);
                            (ii) any benefits to the environment or 
                        human health that could result from the 
                        widespread application of electric transport 
                        refrigeration units for short-haul 
                        transportation and delivery of perishable goods 
                        or other goods requiring climate-controlled 
                        conditions, including in low-income communities 
                        and communities of color;
                            (iii) any challenges or benefits that 
                        recipients of awards of funds under the pilot 
                        program reported with respect to the 
                        integration or use of electric transport 
                        refrigeration units and associated 
                        technologies;
                            (iv) an assessment of the national market 
                        potential for electric transport refrigeration 
                        units;
                            (v) an assessment of the challenges and 
                        opportunities for widespread deployment of 
                        electric transport refrigeration units, 
                        including in urban areas; and
                            (vi) recommendations for how future 
                        Federal, State, and local programs can best 
                        support the adoption and widespread deployment 
                        of electric transport refrigeration units.
    (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
        carry out this section $30,000,000, to remain available until 
        expended.
            (2) Administrative expenses.--The Administrator may use not 
        more than 1 percent of the amounts made available under 
        paragraph (1) for administrative expenses to carry out this 
        section.
                                 <all>