Gov. Tom Wolf Thursday announced nearly 140 businesses across Pennsylvania will soon install energy-efficiency or pollution-prevention projects by using Small Business Advantage Grants provided by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). This year, DEP awarded more than $980,000 to 139 small businesses.

“Improving energy efficiency helps small businesses and helps improve quality of life for all residents,” Gov. Tom Wolf said. “These grants will help small businesses, improve the environment and grow the economy.”

Pennsylvania’s Small Business Advantage Grant Program, funded through the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act, helps businesses with 100 or fewer employees. It provides 50 percent matching reimbursement grants of up to $9,500 to implement projects that will save 25 percent annually in pollution-prevention or energy-related costs.

The grants will create more than $2.5 million in private-sector investment in small businesses.

“Funding projects like these not only improves the environment, it helps small businesses become more efficient,” Acting DEP Secretary John Quigley said. “I am pleased to support worthwhile projects that make our air cleaner while making our economy stronger.”

Examples of eligible projects include high-efficiency HVAC and insulation upgrades, high-efficiency lighting to save energy, installation of energy-efficient heat pumps and new auxiliary power units that help large trucks reduce time spent with idling engines.

A list of grant recipients is available online.

Since 2004, the program has awarded nearly $9.5 million to 1,915 small businesses statewide.

For more information about how the DEP supports small businesses or about future grant opportunities, contact DEP’s Office of the Small Business Ombudsman at 717-772-8909 or send email to: epadvantagegrant@pa.gov.

6/1/2015