Pennsylvania offers funding for alternative fuels, vehicles

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has announced it is accepting applications for its Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant Program, which offers funding for the purchase and use of alternative fuels and alternative fuel vehicles.

The AFIG program can assist school districts, municipal authorities, nonprofits, corporations, LLCs and partnerships registered to do business in Pennsylvania. This year, the program will give priority to projects that include the use of funding vehicles by emergency personnel in emergency responses, rescues and evacuations.

“Transportation grants such as these provide support for schools and other entities to cut down on their carbon footprints and improve the air we breathe, all while saving money,” said Patrick McDonnell, DEP secretary. “It is important to look to all of the vehicles on the road, so this year we are giving priority to projects for emergency vehicles.”

Grants are available under three project categories, including vehicle retrofit or purchase, alternative fuel refueling infrastructure and innovative technology. Awards for vehicle retrofit or purchase help offset the incremental cost of purchasing alternative fuel vehicles or retrofitting existing vehicles to operation on alternative fuels. Awards for alternative fuel refueling infrastructure assist in the costs to purchase and install refueling equipment, while awards for innovative technology support research, training, development and demonstration of new alternative fuels and alternative fuel vehicles.

The AFIG program defines alternative fuel as any transportation fuel other than conventional gasoline and diesel. This includes compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, propane, hydrogen, hythane electricity, biodiesel, ethanol, methanol and other advanced biofuels.  

The 2018 application period opened May 4 and will be open for the remainder of the year. DEP will collect and review applications received by July 13 and by Dec. 14.

Additional information is available on the DEP website.