The Department of Environmental Protection is pleased to announce that the Alternative Fuel Incentive Grant (AFIG) Natural Gas Vehicle program will open a grant round Sat. May 25. The grant will offer an estimated $10 million for the purchase or conversion of medium- to light-weight natural gas vehicles (under 14,000 pounds), as well as the conversion or purchase of electric, propane or other alternative fuel vehicles of any size. Eligible applicants include school districts, municipal authorities, political subdivisions, incorporated non-profit entities, corporations, and limited liability companies or partnerships located in Pennsylvania. Eligible vehicles include dedicated bi-fuel and dual-fuel LNG or CNG vehicles weighing less than 14,000 pounds as well as dedicated liquid propane gas, hydrogen, hythane (any combination of CNG and hydrogen) biofuel (B100 or straight vegetable oil) and electric vehicles of any weight. Applicants interested in purchasing or converting one or two alternative fuel vehicles are encouraged to partner with other eligible applicants to aggregate their vehicles into a single application to satisfy the five vehicle minimum. Grants will cover no more than 50 percent of the incremental purchase or retrofit cost.
Applications will be accepted online using DCNR’s eGrant system: www.grants.dcnr.state.pa.us.The application deadline is 4 p.m., July 26, 2013. Grants will be awarded in the fall. Additional information, including a link to the guidance document and Regional Energy Manager contact information, is available on DEP’s website www.dep.state.pa.us (click on the Natural Gas Vehicle Grant Program button).