Food Truck Equipment

Food trucks bring a lot of good things to our community — jobs, culture, and great food. But food trucks and mobile vendors also face environmental problems that are unique to their industry. Diesel, propane, and gas generators are loud, and they break noise rules. They also release harmful pollution into the air, including carbon monoxide, soot, and nitrogen oxides.

PACE is collaborating with the Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) to help mobile food vendors go green. This program lets food truck and mobile business owners in Boulder County upgrade old kitchen equipment. It also helps them swap dirty, noisy generators for clean, electric power stations. PACE has already helped several food trucks make this switch, and we’re ready to help your business too!

Why make the switch to electric power?

• Cost Savings: Electric power stations cost less to run than gas generators. You’ll spend less on fuel, repairs, and upkeep. These savings can pay back your investment in about one year.
• Better Customer Experience: Gas generators are noisy, smelly, and create pollution. Electric power stations are cleaner and quieter, so customers and employees enjoy their time more. They also let you take on new jobs, like private or indoor events such as weddings.
• Public Health Benefits: Breathing in fumes from gas, diesel, or propane generators over time can cause serious health problems. Clean power keeps your team and customers healthier, and it can open new doors for your business.
• Fighting Climate Change: A gas generator running for 8 hours releases up to 165 pounds of CO2. That’s about the same as burning 83 pounds of coal, according to the EPA. Using less gas power helps protect the environment.

Food Truck Electrification and Efficiency Grants

Mobile businesses in Boulder County can apply now for a grant that covers most of the cost of new kitchen equipment, a battery power station, and an electric system.

• The Engines Off program from RAQC covers 80% of the battery power station and the electric set up costs, up to $20,000.
• The Kitchen Efficiency Grant from PACE covers 70% of the cost to replace old equipment with new, energy-efficient models. PACE also has a Kitchen Electrification Grant that helps you replace gas-powered cooking equipment with electric alternatives. Both grants cover up to $10,000 of costs.
• The Engines Off program also helps pay for solar panels. PACE advisors are ready to help you use all the incentives available to you. We’ve spent time learning the technology and building partnerships, so we can help you build a system that fits your needs and lasts.

PACE grants come from the Boulder County Sustainability Tax and the City of Boulder’s Climate Tax. Grants go out on a first-come, first-served basis while funding lasts.

More about the Engines Off program from RAQC

The Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) started in 1989 to lead air quality planning in the Denver metro area. RAQC launched the Engines Off program to fight idling and support cleaner practices. Engines Off grants help mobile businesses and food trucks pay for switching from idling gas engines to clean electric power.

The Engines Off program is open to vehicles in Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, or Jefferson counties. Don’t miss this chance to switch to cleaner mobile energy.

Visit the Engines Off website to check out some of the trucks who have received a grant from RAQC.

Application Process

1. Business owners should start by completing our interest form.
2. A PACE advisor will contact you to provide additional information and guidance throughout the application process. RAQC requires the following information to apply to their electrification grant:
   • Business contact information
   • Final quote, either received from a battery manufacturer/vendor or written up based on the price of desired equipment
   • Colorado Certificate of Good Standing; Unique Entity ID from the Systems for Award Management (SAM ID)

   If you are missing any of these requirements, complete our interest form anyway, and a PACE advisor will contact you and help you with the process.

3. Once the application meets the requirements and is approved, business owners can purchase after receiving the RAQC PO (purchase order).
4. After installation of a new battery system is complete, owners must provide proof of proper old generator recycling at an approved recycling center. A PACE advisor can guide you through this process as well.
5. Business owners must submit the required reimbursement documents through RAQC’s Reimbursement Portal.
6. You will receive a check within 6-12 weeks after the reimbursement documents are submitted to the Reimbursement Portal and they meet the criteria. You will receive a confirmation.

Community Highlight

For José Luís Arce and Arturo Silva, owners of Marco’s Hot Dogs and Tacos, switching from a gas generator to a battery-powered system has completely changed how their food truck operates. With help from PACE Advisor Norma King and funding through the Food Truck Electrification and Efficiency Grant program, they installed an all-electric setup that powers refrigerators, a steamer, and a water heater for days on a single charge. “You just show up, turn it on, and go,” says Arce. “It’s so much easier.”

The new system has also improved reliability and customer experience. Their refrigerators stay running even when the truck is parked, helping protect inventory during multi-day events, and the quieter operation has become a noticeable benefit. They’ve also noticed how much quieter their truck is at events. “People ask if we even need to plug in. The quiet makes a big difference.”