The California Air Resources Board unanimously approved Resolution 26-8 on June 25, adopting its fiscal year 2025-26 and 2026-27 Air Quality Improvement Program funding plan and directing $68 million to the Clean Off-Road Equipment Voucher Incentive Project, or CORE.
CARB said the plan also reserves $2 million for state operations, for about $70 million in total appropriations across the two fiscal years. Staff said the funding is aimed at zero-emission off-road equipment and is intended to reduce criteria pollutants and greenhouse gases while delivering benefits to overburdened communities.
At the meeting in Sacramento, staff described CORE as a key clean-transportation incentive tool and said the program had drawn far more demand than available money in the last cycle. According to the board meeting summary, staff said CORE received about $104 million in voucher requests against $36 million available, and that more than 70% of CORE-purchased equipment has been domiciled in overburdened communities.
Board members questioned staff about regional distribution, access barriers and safeguards. Staff said about 46% of historical CORE funding has gone to the South Coast, about 20% to San Joaquin, about 14% to the Bay Area, with the remainder spread across rural areas. They also said the program uses a dealership-based application process.
Staff said a CORE workshop is scheduled for July 2 and that voucher requests are expected to open in October. The board then voted yes on the resolution.
