Alternate Fuels find commonwealth $

[PghUSA]

Great to see that the Keystone Commonwealth is putting bite behind its bark, hopefully these initiatives will produce great results in our automobile dependent society.

Pennsylvania hands out grants to develop alternate fuels

Pittsburgh Business Times:

Pennsylvania environmental officials on Monday awarded more than $1 million in alternative fuel grants to help fund the purchase of hybrid vehicles and develop a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle.

Alternative fuels include compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, liquid propane gas, ethanol, methanol, hydrogen, coal-derived liquid fuels and fuels derived from biological materials.

Studies show that alternative fuels are cleaner than conventional fuels, emitting little to no particulate matter, less carbon monoxide and fewer pollutants that contribute to ground-level ozone, or smog.

"As fuel costs rise and remain high, the importance of investing in the development and use of alternative fuel technologies increases," Environmental Secretary Kathleen McGinty said. "Embracing alternative fuels not only has an economic advantage in making our state a leader in the development and deployment of new products, but it also has measurable impacts on pollution reduction, energy independence and energy security."

Grant recipients include the Pennsylvania Transportation Institute, which will get $302,500 to fund the demonstration of hydrogen and compressed natural gas blends in Centre Area Transit buses and Penn State vans.