The Department of Environmental Protection invites fleet managers in northwest and northcentral Pennsylvania to attend one of four upcoming Natural Gas Vehicle Grant workshops being offered in December.

The free workshops are scheduled for Butler, Clinton, Erie and Jefferson counties on the following dates:

-- December 6 in Butler County: 10 a.m. until noon at the Cranberry Township Municipal Center (Council Chambers), 2525 Rochester Road, Cranberry Township, Pa;

-- December 10 in Jefferson County: 10 a.m. until noon at the CNG Education Center, 228 Allegheny Blvd., Brookville, Pa;

-- December 12 in Erie County: 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, 301 Peninsula Drive, Erie, Pa; and

-- December 19 in Clinton County: 10 a.m. until noon at the Clinton County Conservation District Office, 45 Cooperation Lane, Mill Hall, Pa.

An estimated $11 million is available to help pay for the incremental purchase or conversion costs of heavy-duty natural gas fleet vehicles with gross vehicle weight ratings of 14,000 pounds or greater.

The deadline for applications is 4 p.m. on Friday, January 10, 2014.  Grants will be awarded in the spring.

Fifty percent of this funding is allocated exclusively for local transportation organizations, including non-profit agencies providing public transportation services and public transportation, port and redevelopment authorities, and school bus projects.

Others eligible to apply include incorporated non-profit organizations, for-profit companies, state-owned or state-related universities, Commonwealth or municipal authorities, and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.

The workshops will consist of a review of the Act 13 grant program requirements, followed by a live demonstration and walkthrough of the online application. Department staff will then be available to provide one-on-one assistance to applicants and answer questions about the application process. 

These workshops are free of charge but open to eligible applicants only. Seating is limited, so registration is limited to two people per organization. Please register early to ensure your seat by sending email to Teresa Willey at twilley@pa.gov (be sure to include the attendee’s name(s), the organization, and the date/location you prefer), or call Ms. Willey at 814-332-6350.

For more information regarding the Act 13 grant program and the workshop agenda, please contact Geoff Bristow of DEP’s Office of Pollution Prevention and Energy Assistance at 814-332-6681 or send email to: gbristow@pa.gov.

For a copy of grant guidelines and more, visit DEP’s Natural Gas Vehicle Grant Program webpage.  Pennsylvania’s Act 13 Natural Gas Vehicle Grants are financed by impact fees paid by natural gas operators.

12/2/2013