Tens of millions of dollars will be available to public agencies and other groups in the Coachella Valley seeking funds for green projects, the South Coast Air Quality Management District announced today.

The AQMD's governing board on Friday approved a request for proposals for $53 million in air pollution reduction projects in the Coachella Valley.

Funding comes from air pollution mitigation fees paid by operators of the CPV Sentinel Energy Project, a power plant under construction in Desert Hot Springs.

AQMD board member and Riverside County Supervisor John J. Benoit, who represents the Coachella Valley, was pleased because the board could have spread the money between the valley and other parts of the region.

"Keeping 100 percent of the Sentinel air pollution-mitigation funds in the Coachella Valley is the right thing to do," Benoit said. "I commend my fellow board members for their understanding and support for our valley. These mitigation funds now present a unique opportunity, exclusively within the Coachella Valley, to improve our air quality."

Examples of potential emission reduction projects include school bus and heavy-duty truck retrofit or replacement, truck stop electrification, school air filtration systems, and renewable-energy power products.

Also infrastructure improvements, such as paving dirt roads, developing parkways and installing electric vehicle charging or compressed natural gas fueling stations.

The AQMD will offer workshops and meetings during the next four months to assist community groups and others in preparing proposals for consideration.