The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has awarded more than $2.6 million in grant funding to municipalities and businesses state-wide for 16 clean energy vehicle projects that will help improve air quality and public health. “As companies and municipalities look to save money in the long run by converting to less expensive alternative fuels, their good business sense benefits our communities and environment in Pennsylvania,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell.

The funding, which comes from the Commonwealth’s Alternative Fuels Incentive Grants (AFIG) Programme, supports 18 projects to replace older shuttles, school buses, waste-hauling trucks, and other vehicles with cleaner energy vehicles, including Autogas, as well as install fuelling stations for such vehicles.

The projects funded, which are expected to reduce emissions by more than 2,800 tonnes and save more than one million gasoline gallon equivalents annually, include Colonial Airport Parking, which will receive $66,000 to buy four Autogas shuttle buses, saving more than 18,800 gasoline gallon equivalents per year; Suburban Transit Network, which will get $300,000 to purchase 14 Autogas buses and convert seven additional vehicles to LPG, saving more than 81,000 gasoline gallon equivalents per year; and Monark Student Transportation, which will obtain $76,000 to purchase eight Autogas school buses, saving more than 22,800 gasoline gallon equivalents per year.

Moreover, the Pennsylvania DEP has awarded over $610,000 to four school districts enabling the replacement of older school buses with 44 Autogas vehicles and the installation of a fast-fill LPG fuelling station. “By embracing the use of clean energy vehicles, school districts can play a part in helping to improve environmental conditions,” commented Secretary of Education Pedro A. Rivera.

This initiative will help reduce CO₂ emissions by about 316 tonnes annually and save the school districts more than 67,000 gallons of diesel per year. The four projects funded are Derry Township School District, Haverford Township School District, Bradford Area School District and North Penn School District.

If you want to know more about these projects, please visit these links.

21 November 2018