Governor Corbett awards grants for NGV conversion

Governor Tom Corbett has awarded US$7.3 million in Act 13 funding to 18 companies, organisations and partnerships switching to natural gas for their heavy-duty fleet vehicles.

Affordable fuel

Corbett commented: “Act 13 not only strengthened oversight of the drilling industry, it allows us to continue growing jobs while cleaning the air at the same time. Natural gas, particularly from the shale formations here in Pennsylvania, is an abundant, affordable, domestic fuel that is putting this country on a path to energy independence.”

The Act was a considerable step towards modernising the state’s oil and gas law. It increased protections for private water supplies, empowered the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to issue larger fines and included one of the most progressive hydraulic fracturing fluid disclosure laws in the nation.

Natural gas fleets

The Act also authorised DEP to develop and implement the Natural Gas Energy Development program, funded by impact fees paid by natural gas operators. The program distributed up to US$20 million in grants over three years, to help pay for the incremental purchase and conversion costs of heavy-duty natural gas fleet vehicles.

For this third round of the program, DEP received applications from 37 applicants requesting more than US$10 million in grants. The first two rounds awarded a total US$14.4 million to 43 companies and organisations.

Eligible vehicles for the program included those fuelled with CNG, LNG or bi-fuel vehicles weighing 14 000 lb or more.

Adapted from press release by Katie Woodward

Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/small-scale-lng/16012015/funding-for-ngv-conversions-awarded-56/