This initiative will award up to $20 million over the next three years to help pay for the incremental purchase and conversion costs of heavy-duty natural gas fleet vehicles. In the first year, $10 million in grants will be available, $5 million of which is slated for local transportation organizations, including non-profit agencies providing public transportation services and public transportation, port and redevelopment authorities. Non-profit organizations, for-profit companies, state-owned or state-related universities, commonwealth or municipal authorities and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission will be eligible to apply for the remaining amount. An additional $7.5 million in funding will be available the second year, with $2.5 million the third year.
Grant awards will be capped at 50 percent of the incremental purchase or retrofit cost per vehicle, with a maximum total of $25,000 per vehicle. The incremental purchase cost is defined as the difference between a vehicle eligible for these grants and one powered by traditional fuels, such as diesel or gasoline.
Eligible vehicles must weigh 14,000 pounds or more and be fueled with compressed natural gas or liquefied natural gas. Bi-fuel vehicles are also eligible. For this first year, grant applications are due Feb. 1, 2013. Grants will be awarded in late March 2013.
Source: Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
