HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection recently awarded $2.9 million in 2022 Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant funding to municipalities, schools and businesses around the state to switch to zero- or low-emission vehicles.
The DEP Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant program supports projects to replace older gasoline or diesel-fueled vehicles with cleaner fuel vehicles and install related fueling infrastructure to improve air quality in Pennsylvania. It builds on Governor Shapiro’s agenda to create a bold, comprehensive climate and energy plan that will grow Pennsylvania’s economy, protect and create jobs, and address climate change.
The 28 funded projects will install 32 electric vehicle chargers for private and public use and put 95 electric vehicles, 24 compressed or renewable natural gas vehicles, and 11 propane vehicles on the road.
Nine of the vehicles will be fully electric long-haul tractor trailers, the first supported by the AFIG program. Several other projects are for transit buses and garbage trucks.
The projects will be fully paid for with DEP funds. DEP receives approximately $5 million in funding each year through the utilities gross receipts tax collected during each fiscal year to carry out the provisions of the Alternative Fuels Incentive Act.
The local projects by county are as follows:
Allegheny
• 50 26th Street: $28,500 to purchase three electric cars and three electric scooters for residents’ use in a planned residential development on Pittsburgh’s South Side.
• Duquesne Light Company: $90,000 for the purchase of 12 electric pickup trucks.
• IE PA I LLC: $300,000 to install eight DC electric vehicle fast chargers for use by the zTrip taxi fleet.
• WHC PA LLC: $300,000 for the purchase of 40 electric cars to operate the zTrip taxi fleet.
Butler
• T.C. Recycling LLC: $120,000 for six renewable natural gas garbage trucks.
• Vogel Disposal Service: $120,000 for six renewable natural gas garbage trucks.
Mercer
• Tri-County Industries, Inc.: $120,000 to purchase six renewable natural gas garbage trucks.
Westmoreland
• DMJ Transportation, Inc.: $9,921 for the purchase of six compressed natural gas school buses.
The AFIG program supports the transition to alternative fuels including electricity, compressed natural gas, renewable natural gas, liquefied natural gas, propane, hydrogen, hythane, biodiesel, ethanol, methanol, and other advanced biofuels. The transportation sector makes up 22% of Pennsylvania’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
These new grant awards are the second and final set of 2022 AFIG grants, following the first set of 2022 AFIG grants, totaling $1.5 million, announced in February.
