Technology Assessment Program (TAP)

The Placer County Air Pollution Control District sponsors a Technology Assessment Program (TAP) to provide financial assistance in the form of grants for the development and evaluation of technologies which have the potential to reduce air pollution in Placer County. The program’s intent is to provide grant funding for studies and other analysis that would help to assess the emissions effects of projects and to foster projects that may result in emission reductions in future years. A governing criteria for this program is that a selected grant project must have the potential to lead to future emission reductions in Placer County and either one or more Placer County public agencies, or general public, are likely to benefit from the expenditure of public funds on the project.

The Program has been made available for projects that have the potential to push the edges of technology to achieve higher efficiency/lower impact results. Even though these projects may have produced emission reduction benefits, the assessment work itself did not and could not compete for Clean Air Grant funding.

Awarded Grants

This program was initiated in 2009 to 2010 with funding derived from the interest on violation settlement monies. To date, three grants (totaling $139,600) have been awarded:

• A grant to Placer Resource Conservation District, in collaboration with the Foresthill BioEnergy Steering Committee, the Placer County Department of Planning, and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC), for the: Foresthill Biomass Utilization Feasibility Study (September 2015) (PDF): This study provides a feasibility assessment for a biomass energy facility in the Foresthill, California area. The assessment covered the important elements of feasibility including long-term sustainable biomass feedstock availability, suitable technology to utilize the available biomass feedstock, possible facility locations, environmental considerations, and basic economics.
• A grant for the City of Lincoln’s Wastewater Treatment and Reclamation Facility’s (WWTRF) to prepare: A Study of Air Emissions From Conversion Technologies Compared to Baseline Solid Waste Infrastructure Emissions (December 2011) (PDF): The purpose of the Study is to support the WPWMA’s ongoing research of the emissions associated with converting municipal solid waste (MSW) residuals currently being landfilled into energy as compared to current waste disposal practices.
• A grant to the Western Placer Waste Management Authority (WPWMA) for the: 10% Design Study for a Waste Fueled Gas Production Process to Produce Electricity in a Fuel Cell to Power the City of Lincoln Wastewater Treatment and Reclamation Facility (August 2009) (PDF): This study provides a 10% design, along with an investigation of waste to fuel gas production processes to produce heat and electricity by way of a fuel cell. The appendices referred to in the report will be added soon.

View information on the TAP funding process (PDF).

Additional Information

To find out about current TAP funding availability and the qualifying project requirements please contact the District at 530-745-2330 or email the Air Pollution Control District.