HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection awarded more than $3.4 million in 2020 Alternative Fuel Incentive Grants to 20 cleaner fuel transportation projects statewide that will help improve air quality and public health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to address climate change.
The program funds projects that replace older gasoline- or diesel-fueled vehicles with cleaner fuel vehicles to reduce emissions of carbon monoxide, particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide, a principal greenhouse gas.
The program supports electric, ethanol, biodiesel, compressed natural gas, propane gas and other cleaner fuel vehicles. It also supports installing fueling stations for these vehicles.
Projects
There are several funded projects in western Pennsylvania.
Ingevity Corporation will receive $256,745 to equip 28 vehicles in eight Pennsylvania-based fleets with its adsorbed natural gas technology and install refueling infrastructure at each fleet’s location to study the environmental and economic impacts of using this renewable natural gas technology. Fleets are based in Allegheny, Erie, Lancaster, Philadelphia and Washington counties.
Allegheny County will receive $30,000 to purchase four electric vehicles.
The city of Pittsburgh will receive $160,000 to purchase eight electric vehicles and one electric bucket truck for tree maintenance in the city. The vehicles are part of a project that also includes charging stations, supported by a DEP Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority COVID-19 Restart Grant.
TARS Trucking will receive $52,500 for the purchase of a Tesla electric tractor-trailer to haul metal freight to and from steel manufacturers, suppliers and end-users in the Pittsburgh region.
In Erie County, Northwestern Rural Electric Cooperative Association will receive $149,849 to install two direct current fast chargers for electric vehicles for public use at a Country Fair service station in Edinboro.
In Westmoreland County, DMJ Transportation will receive $300,000 to purchase 34 propane school buses, serving Greater Latrobe School District, Shank Waste Service will receive $300,000 to purchase eight CNG garbage trucks and United Parcel Service will receive $300,000 to purchase 35 CNG delivery vehicles, based at the New Stanton facility.
The 2020 funded projects will put 209 cleaner fuel school buses, garbage trucks, package delivery trucks and other vehicles in use, including the first electric tractor-trailer to receive one of these grants. Four projects will install a propane fueling station and 10 electric vehicle chargers, including two that will be solar powered.
More than half the projects will help improve air quality in Environmental Justice communities, or census tracts where 20% or more individuals live at or below the federal poverty line or 30% or more individuals identify as a non-white minority, according to federal data. Collectively, the projects are anticipated to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over 900 metric tons per year.
Related content:
Pa. grant program will replace 62 older diesel vehicles
Pa. DEP grants fund 16 chargers for electric vehicles
What a good initiative Pennsylvania has had with generating a project on cleaner fuel. There are many benefits that this idea will bring. I hope it will serve as an example for many other countries, that it will raise awareness and that little by little we will all do our bit to improve our planet. Excellent news, thanks for sharing. – Gustavo Copelmayer