PA Announces $6 Million in Funding; 33 Alt Fuel Grants

Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced that the third round of NGV grants opened on Saturday (Aug. 30th) and will provide an estimated $6 million to help pay for the incremental purchase and conversion costs of heavy duty natural gas fleet vehicles. “Pennsylvania continues to move in the right direction by creating opportunities to convert vehicle fleets from imported oil to homegrown, clean-burning, affordable natural gas,” Pennsylvania’s Gov. Corbett said. “We encourage all who are eligible for this funding to lower their operational costs and lessen our dependency on foreign oil.” Since 2013, $14 million has been awarded to 44 organizations and companies operating in the state making the switch to CNG and LNG vehicles weighing 14,000 pounds or more. Those eligible to apply include: non-profit organizations; local transportation organizations; state-owned or state-related universities; commonwealth or municipal authorities; for-profit companies; and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. Requests can be for no more than 50 percent of the incremental purchase or retrofit cost per vehicle, with a maximum total of $25,000 per vehicle. Grant applications are due by 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 14th, and will be awarded this winter. Eligible applicants are encouraged to participate in a related webinar, scheduled for Sept. 22th from 2 to 3 p.m. To register for the webinar and view the updated guidance document and online grant application, click here. This will likely be the final round of NGV grants for the 2014–15 fiscal year.

Gov. Corbett also announced nearly $4 million in Alternative Fuel Incentive Grants (AFIG) to 33 local governments, non-profit organizations and companies making the switch to CNG and other alternative fuels. “These important grants allow Pennsylvania to make the most of our abundant natural resources, edging us closer to energy independence while also helping to improve our air quality,” Corbett said. “This funding makes it possible for many local governments, organizations and companies to convert their lighter-weight vehicles to natural gas or other alternative fuels.” The awarded AFIG grants will help pay for the conversion or purchase of 274 NGVs, 261 propane vehicles, and 23 plug-in hybrid or electric vehicles. An estimated 24 new fueling stations and 35 existing stations will be supported by these vehicles. AFIG grants are an annual solicitation, providing financial incentive for a variety of transportation projects with the result of reducing air emissions in Pennsylvania. This year, AFIG grants focused on the conversion or purchase of NGVs weighing less than 26,000 pounds, as well as the conversion or purchase of other alt fuel vehicles of any size. DEP also awarded $1.8 million in AFIG funding to four innovative alternative fuel technology projects. The AFIG fund was established under Act 166 of 1992, and is administered by the DEP through its Office of Pollution Prevention and Energy Assistance.

Below is a list of natural gas projects funded by the AFIG grants, organized by county.

Allegheny:
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, purchase 21 CNG passenger vans – $249,984 Civil and Environmental Consultants, purchase seven dual fuel CNG vehicles – $38,640 Air Star Transportation, purchase five electric vehicles – $50,000

Bradford:
Valley Energy, with partners Bradco Supply Company and DM Industries, purchase five bi- fuel CNG vehicles – $30,500

Cambria:
Cambria County Transit Authority, purchase six CNG mini-buses – $75,000

Clarion:
New Bethlehem Borough, with partners 3M Transport, Baker Gas and Smerker Contracting, purchase six CNG vehicles, convert two existing vehicles to CNG – $55,620

Clearfield:
Clepper Bus Service, purchase seven CNG vehicles – $55,671

Clinton:
Fleet Energy America, convert five vehicles to CNG bi-fuel – $27,999

Dauphin:
Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority, with partners Dawood Engineering and Harrisburg City Cab, purchase 11 and lease two CNG vehicles – $103,735
Cleveland Brothers won a grant to support the installation of a CNG vehicle tank defueling vent stack at its Harrisburg facility. The equipment allows for the safe maintenance and repair of CNG fuel systems by allowing them to be quickly depressurized to atmospheric pressure for both scheduled and emergency repairs – $14,750

Delaware:
Clean Energy, with partner Warfield Pennsylvania, purchase six bi-fuel CNG pick-up trucks

and three CNG shuttle vans – $86,430
Atlantic City Linen Supply, purchase five CNG vehicles – $61,250

Erie:
Environmental Remediation and Recovery, purchase and convert total of five vehicles to bi- fuel CNG – $28,209

Montgomery:
Southeastern PA CNG Vehicle Conversion Initiative/Greater Philadelphia Clean Cities, with partners Sunoco, Wawa, PECO, AAA and Shearon Design, purchasing 31 CNG vehicles –
$249,200
Bimbo Bakeries, four grants to convert a total of 81 delivery vehicles to CNG – $789,750 Montgomery County, purchase 10 vehicles (CNG, propane and hybrid electric) – $83,645

Philadelphia:
VNG Company with partners Safelite Group, purchase 10 NGVs – $81,675

Potter:
REV LNG, to construct, own and operate a pilot micro liquefied natural gas (LNG) production plant. The project expects to achieve LNG liquefaction production of 50,000 gallons per day, and would be the first of its kind in the eastern part of the country – $800,000

York:
Western Pennsylvania Alternative Fuel Vehicle Program/Pittsburgh Region Clean Cities, purchase 33 propane and CNG vehicles, buses and shuttles – $216,192
Skytop/FedEx, two grants to convert a total of 30 delivery vans to CNG – $150,000 UGI Pennsylvania, purchase 18 CNG vehicles – $95,000