On January 18, the Department of Environmental Protection announced it has awarded more than $1.28 million in 2023 Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant funding to municipalities and businesses to improve air quality in communities through cleaner fuel transportation infrastructure.

The grants supported 13 projects-- 11 projects will provide 25 electric and 23 CNG vehicles, and two infrastructure projects will enable electric vehicle chargers at three locations.

These projects are estimated to save 95,555 gasoline gallon equivalents (GGE) per year. Eight projects are located in or serve Environmental Justice Areas.

“Communities are investing in zero- and low- emission transportation because they recognize this is a pathway to cleaner air and better health,” said DEP Interim Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley. "This round of awarded projects to be deployed all across Pennsylvania includes a range of electric delivery trucks, passenger vehicles, tractors, and more — with 3 new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. DEP is committed to providing opportunities to deploy cleaner transportation alternatives which improve air quality and results in healthier communities.”

In Pennsylvania, 47 percent of nitrogen oxide emissions come from gasoline and diesel vehicles, and transportation contributes up to 22 percent of Pennsylvania's overall greenhouse gas emissions.

The AFIG program provides funding to help school districts, municipalities, businesses, and nonprofit organizations in Pennsylvania replace these older gasoline- or diesel-fueled vehicles with electric, renewable natural gas, compressed natural gas (CNG), ethanol, biodiesel, or propane gas fueled vehicles.

The funded projects include--

Allegheny County 

-- Churchill Borough: $15,000 for the purchase of two Class 1 EV passenger vehicles for use by the Borough’s police department.

-- Borough of Oakmont: $7,500 for the purchase of one Class 2 EV light duty truck for use by the Borough’s Parks Department maintenance staff.

-- West Mifflin Sanitary Sewer & Stormwater Authority: $7,500 for the purchase of one Class 1 EV passenger vehicle.

-- Allentown Mack Sales & Service Inc: $98,807 for the installation of DC Fast chargers, as well as Level 2 chargers, at two locations, one in Allegheny County and another in Schuylkill County.

Armstrong County 

-- Snyder Brothers, Inc.: $112,500 for the purchase of 20 Class 2 CNG light duty trucks.

Blair County  

-- Northern Blair County Regional Sewer Authority: $7,500 for the purchase of one Class 2 EV light duty truck.

Bucks County

-- United States Cold Storage LLC: $300,000 for the purchase of four Class 8 EV terminal tractors. Additional locations include Northampton County and Luzerne County.

Carbon County

-- Lehighton Ford: $296,814 for the installation of three DC Fast EV chargers and six Level 2 chargers. These chargers will serve both public customers and the dealership’s EV service vehicles.

Cumberland County

-- Lazer Spot, Inc: $300,000 for the purchase of four Class 8 EV terminal tractors. Additional location in Lehigh County.

Lancaster County

-- Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority: $30,000 for the purchase of three Class 8 CNG vehicles to be used as waste transfer vehicles. 

Lehigh County

-- Allentown Mack Sales & Service Inc: $40,000 for the purchase of one Class 6 EV truck.

Montgomery County

-- Township of Lower Merion: $21,000 for the purchase of four Class 1 EV passenger vehicles and one Class 2 EV light duty truck for use by Township code inspectors and parking attendants.

Philadelphia County

-- Herr Foods Inc: $45,000 for the purchase of six Class 2 EV delivery vehicles.

Visit DEP’s Alternative Fuels Incentive Grants webpage to learn more about this program.

Alternative Fuels Grant Opportunities

-- January 26-- PennDOT Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Grants

-- January 31-- EPA Clean School Bus Grants

-- February 2-- DEP Clean Diesel Trucks, School Buses, Transit Buses Grants

-- July 1-- DEP Alternative Fueled Vehicle Rebates (apply anytime)

-- July 1-- DEP Level 2 Electric Vehicle Charging Station Rebates (apply anytime)

Related Articles This Week - Climate/Clean Energy:

-- AES Corporation Announces Completion Of 220 MW Solar Energy Facilities In Franklin, Fulton Counties To Power University Of Pennsylvania  [PaEN]

-- PA Solar Center Jan. 26 Webinar On Federal And State Financial Resources For Going Solar  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension Energy Essentials: Feb. 15 Webinar Update On Large-Scale Solar; What Is Agrivoltaics? Latest On Anaerobic Digesters  [PaEN]

-- PUC Hosts Feb. 1 Virtual Stakeholders Meeting On Distributed Energy Resources Participation In Wholesale Electricity Markets  [PaEN]

-- PUC Stakeholders Feb. 7-8 Meetings On Act 129 Statewide Energy Efficiency Baseline Studies, 2026 Technical Reference Manual Update

-- Penn State EarthTalk: Jan. 22 Building SURE (Sustainable And Resilient) Communities Webinar  [PaEN]

-- Juniata County Dairy Farm Turns 1,000 Pound PA Farm Show Butter Sculpture Into Renewable Energy  [PaEN]

-- DEP Extends Deadline For Comments On Proposed Grant Program To Reduce Industrial Sector Greenhouse Gas Emissions To Jan. 29  [PaEN]

-- DEP Awards $1.28 Million In Grants For Alternative Fuels Charging Stations, Clean Fuel Vehicles  [PaEN]

-- PennDOT Awarded $5 Million In Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding To Repair Or Replace Existing Electric Vehicle Charging Sites

-- Biden Administration Takes Steps To Cut Electric Vehicle Costs And Continues Build Out Of Made-In-America Electric Vehicle Charging Network

-- PA Cong. Thompson, Deluzio Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Provide Flexibility To States Implementing The Federal Conventional Orphan Oil & Gas Well Plugging Program  [PaEN]

NewsClips This Week:

-- Capital & Main - Audrey Carleton: Gov. Shapiro Promised 30% Renewable Electricity By 2030, Will That Happen?

-- Republican Herald: Solar Energy Facility Proposed In Butler Twp., Schuylkill County

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: US Steel To Test Carbon Capture At Edgar Thomson Steel Plant

-- WHYY: PowerCorpsPHL Offers Solar Industry Training Program Focused On Justice-Involved Philadelphians

-- The Allegheny Front: Study Finds Fossil Fuel Workers Have Skills For Clean Energy Jobs But Might Have To Move

-- Kleinman Center For Energy Policy: 2024 Starts With A Grim Climate Milestone, But Hydrogen Policy Hope - By John Quigley, Former DEP/DCNR Secretary

-- PennLive Letter: Climate Change Is Costing Pennsylvanians Plenty, And Someone Has To Pay For It - By Sen. Amanda Cappelletti (D)

-- Pittsburgh City Paper: Pittsburgh’s Underground Streams Pose Challenges And Opportunities To Fight Climate Change

-- The Guardian: Lawsuit By University of Pennsylvania Climate Scientist Michael Mann Over Online Attacks Finally Comes To Trial

[Posted: January 18, 2024]

1/22/2024