Policymakers offer a carrot to help food trucks curb emissions Image By EPN Staff Key Points The Regional Air Quality Council launched the “Engines Off for Food Trucks” program to give food truck owners up to $20,000 each to switch from gas-powered to electric generators, aiming to cut ozone-forming emissions. Food trucks have surged to 58,000 nationwide, generating $2.4 billion annually, but gas generators can emit 165 pounds of CO₂ in an eight-hour day — harming already-strained urban air quality. Nine Colorado Front Range counties are in “serious” or “severe” nonattainment for ground-level ozone, with Denver ranked sixth worst in the nation for ozone levels, according to the American Lung Association. The fast-growing food truck industry is drawing fresh scrutiny for its heavy emissions, leading officials in one state to launch a grant program that incentivizes food truck owners to use electric - rather than gas-powered - generators. Colorado’s Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC), the lead air quality planning agency for the Denver metro area and other urban Front Range counties, launched a grant program in part to counter the region’s persistent failure to meet federal air quality standards. Why it matters Although mobile vending has existed in the U.S. for more than a century, it took off in 2008. Today, an estimated 58,000 food truck businesses produce $2.4 billion in revenue annually, and in the past five years, the sector posted a compound annual growth rate of 10.9%. But critics counter that the positive economic output is diminished by poor air quality impacts, particularly in urban and suburban areas. One food truck using a gas generator for eight hours of operation can emit 165 pounds of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of burning 83 pounds of coal. Conversion to electric systems reduces both ozone and carbon emissions. The American Lung Association’s 2025 State of the Air report details the cities and counties with the most polluted air. The Denver area ranked sixth worst for ozone levels in the nation, following localities in California and Arizona. The Environmental Protection Agency deemed nine Front Range counties - Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld - to be in “serious” or “severe” nonattainment status for ground-level ozone pollution. How the program works The RAQC’s program, Engines Off for Food Trucks, provides grants of up to $20,000, funded with federal highway money, for qualifying applicants through 2027. They’re available for residents of seven of those counties categorized under “nonattainment status” - Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson counties. RAQC aims to fund 100 grants, totaling $2 million; 30 grants already have been distributed. The bigger picture The American Lung Association’s report found 156 million Americans live in areas with unhealthy levels of ozone smog or particle pollution. This year, nearly 25 million more Americans were living in areas with unhealthy air than last year. Ozone is created when NOx from the combustion or burning of fossil fuels and volatile organic compounds (VOCS) from paint and solvent fumes react with sunlight. When ozone is in the upper atmosphere it forms a protective layer against ultraviolet radiation. At the lower atmospheric level, however, it forms unhealthy smog and can contribute to an array of respiratory, cardiovascular and reproductive health problems. SUGGESTED STORIES California surrenders in its fight to mandate electric heavy trucks The California Air Resources Board (CARB) withdrew its request for a federal waiver this month that would have allowed the state to require all commercial truckers operating in California to transition to zero-emission vehicles. The “Advanced Clean Fleets” regulation would have phas Read more Federal grant to help Mid-Atlantic states restore ecosystems, cut CO2 emissions A regional coalition of mid-Atlantic states that secured $421 million in federal funds from the Environmental Protection Agency is leveraging that money to achieve an ambitious series of conservation and environmental restoration projects. The Atlantic Conservation Coalition (ACC), Read more As temps soar, cities promote ‘cool roofs’ for climate resilience As record summer temperatures scorch urban centers, several U.S. cities such as Miami, Phoenix and Chicago are mandating cool roofs or reflective surfaces on new buildings to combat the urban heat island effect. Why it matters Cool roofs, which use light Read more
California surrenders in its fight to mandate electric heavy trucks The California Air Resources Board (CARB) withdrew its request for a federal waiver this month that would have allowed the state to require all commercial truckers operating in California to transition to zero-emission vehicles. The “Advanced Clean Fleets” regulation would have phas Read more
Federal grant to help Mid-Atlantic states restore ecosystems, cut CO2 emissions A regional coalition of mid-Atlantic states that secured $421 million in federal funds from the Environmental Protection Agency is leveraging that money to achieve an ambitious series of conservation and environmental restoration projects. The Atlantic Conservation Coalition (ACC), Read more
As temps soar, cities promote ‘cool roofs’ for climate resilience As record summer temperatures scorch urban centers, several U.S. cities such as Miami, Phoenix and Chicago are mandating cool roofs or reflective surfaces on new buildings to combat the urban heat island effect. Why it matters Cool roofs, which use light Read more
