The Commonwealth Financing Authority Tuesday announced the award of $3.4 million in clean and alternative energy project grants to four projects.
"The Corbett administration recognizes the importance of expanding our investments in the energy sector as we continue to make Pennsylvania a leader in the field," said Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary C. Alan Walker. "Our investments in alternative and clean energy continue to result in cost savings for businesses and residents as well as new jobs for Pennsylvanians."
The Authority approved four projects Tuesday through the state's Alternative and Clean Energy Program including a biofuels project in Potter County which will create nine full-time jobs and will invest more than $270,000 into the region.
Other approved projects include two compressed natural gas fueling stations which have the benefits of reducing emissions and one high performance building project. The CFA investments in Allegheny, Carbon and Potter counties are projected to result in more than $31 million in additional economic investments.
The grants approved include--
-- Allegheny County: Ariel Holdings LP, a subsidiary of American Natural Retail, LLC, will receive a $720,000 grant for the construction of a CNG fueling station located in Harmar Township, Allegheny County.
The fueling station will have public access and is located at the intersection of 910 and Rich Hill Road and also neighbors Pitt Ohio's new trucking and maintenance terminal. The station will also directly support the conversion of a portion of Pitt Ohio's trucking fleet from diesel to natural gas.
Based on current demand, the Harmar CNG station will displace more than 3,500,000 per year of diesel at full capacity.
-- Allegheny County: Hypatia Holdings LP, a subsidiary of American Natural Retail, LLC, will receive a $600,000 grant for the construction of a CNG fueling station located at Franklin Park Borough, Allegheny County.
The fueling station will have public access and will be located at 2619 Wexford Bayne Road in Sweickley. The location currently houses an abandoned gas station that Hypatia will renovate.
Based on current demand, the Sweickley CNG station will displace more than 100,000 gallons per year of gasoline and diesel.
-- Carbon County: Leighton Area School District will receive a $2 million grant for the construction of a new USGB LEED Gold K-2 primary and 3-5 elementary center located in Leighton Borough.
The new 140,000-square-foot school will replace four aging facilities. The project will include geothermal HVAC system, energy efficient lighting, natural daylighting and thermal envelope. The project is anticipated to reduce energy consumption by 4,685,179 kBTU annually. In addition, new low-flow water fixtures will save the district 30 percent of the annual water usage at the building.
-- Potter County: Biomaxx, Inc. will receive a $90,000 grant for the purchase and installation of wood brick fuel production equipment at its facility located in Ulysses Borough, Potter County.
The company will optimize their existing wood pellet manufacturing plant and add a wood brick fuel production line by acquiring equipment from U.S. Recycled Wood Products, Inc. The process optimization equipment will help maximize wood pellet production by eliminating the bottleneck that presently exists in the dry hammermill process that limits pellet production. This will increase annual capacity from 26,000 tons per year to 36,400 tons per year.
In addition, the new wood brick fuel product line from U.S. Recycled Wood Products, Inc. will be added to the plant. This equipment will produce wood bricks at a capacity of 6,000 tons per year and will utilize lower grade raw material and feedstock. The company will create nine full-time jobs as a result of the $276,180 project.
The ACE Program provides financial assistance in the form of grants and loan funds that will be used by eligible applicants for the utilization, development and construction of alternative and clean energy projects in the state.
The next deadline for new applications for the Alternative and Clean Energy Program is July 11.
