DEP Awards $1.9M In Alternative Fuel Incentive Grants To Communities, Businesses

The Department of Environmental Protection Tuesday announced it has awarded more than $1.9 million to schools and businesses for projects using alternative fuels and infrastructure.

The Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant awards grants for projects to improve air quality through alternative fuel use.

“The buses, cars, and trucks purchased and rebuilt with these grants will reduce air pollution and improve the air we breathe,” said Acting DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “One project, for the East Stroudsburg School District, will save the district nearly 125,000 gallons of gasoline every year. These types of projects pay economic and environmental dividends for communities and Pennsylvania at large, and I am very pleased to be able to award these grants.”

The Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant (AFIG) provides funding for projects to improve air quality through alternative fuel use. Today’s awards were granted in categories: Vehicle Purchase/Retrofit and Refueling Infrastructure. The awards for vehicles will save approximately 1.2 million gallons of gasoline.

East Stroudsburg, Pocono Mountain, and Hatboro-Horsham School Districts will all receive grants to convert some of their bus fleet to run on propane. East Stroudsburg was also awarded a grant for a refueling station for the buses and other municipal vehicles.

A list of all grants awarded is available online.

Free Help For Vehicle Fleet Owners

In addition to the Alternative Fuel Incentive Grants just awarded, DEP is offering a limited number of free technical assistance opportunities to municipalities, school districts, municipal authorities, and nonprofit organizations to assist them in developing plans for building or expanding an alternative energy vehicle fleet.

Applications for the Alternative Fuels Technical Assistance Program will be accepted through June 1.  Click Here for more information.

The primary AFIG program is currently not accepting new applications. DEP expects to reopen the AFIG program in 2017, with the next application submission date due in the spring.

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

For more information visit DEP’s Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant Program webpage or application assistance contact Geoff Bristow, Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Pollution Prevention and Energy Assistance at 814-332-6681 or send email to: gbristow@pa.gov.