The Department of Environmental Protection Thursday awarded more than $1.6 million to Pennsylvania schools and businesses for projects using alternative fuels and infrastructure.

The Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant Program (AFIG) provides funding for projects to improve air quality through alternative fuel use. The winning projects will eliminate from use an estimated 980,000 gallons of gasoline.

Ten grants have been awarded, mostly for alternative fuel vehicle purchases and retrofits, such as the 41 propane-fueled buses for the Upper Moreland School District in Montgomery County, and converting 20 United Parcel Service (UPS) trucks to run on compressed natural gas.

“These vehicles and infrastructure purchased and built with these grants will reduce air pollution coming from cars and trucks on the road, and improve the air we breathe,” said Acting DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “These are innovative solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, and I am very pleased that DEP is a part of making them a reality.”

Eight of the grants are for alternative fuel vehicles that utilize alternative fuel stations in Pennsylvania. One hundred and eleven vehicles, including the buses, will be put into service through the grants, as well as utilize seven new alternative fuel refueling stations.

An electric vehicle-to-grid-integration project is also among the winners. The Penn State GridSTAR Center in Philadelphia will create and demonstrate hardware and software that will allow electric vehicles to connect to the electrical grid for energy storage and resiliency.

The result will be a system that can provide valuable services to the grid and a financial incentive to increase electric vehicle ownership.

Apply Now

The AFIG program remains open throughout the 2016 calendar year.

Additional applications will be accepted until December 30 for innovative, advanced fuel and vehicle technology projects resulting in a cleaner and greener transportation sector within the Commonwealth.

The AFIG Fund was established under Act 166 of 1992 and is administered by the DEP through the Energy Office.

A full list of grantees is available on DEP’s website.

For more information on how to apply, visit DEP’s Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant Program webpage.

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