- Submission Period Open for Next Funding Round of Fast Charging and Hydrogen Fueling Grant Program
Governor Tom Wolf today awarded $9.5 million to reduce diesel emissions, improve air quality, and promote clean transportation technologies.
This latest Driving PA Forward funding is for two grant programs: the Fast Charging and Hydrogen Fueling Grant Program and the Marine and Rail Freight Movers Grant Program. Funding for the grant program comes from the Environmental Mitigation Trust Fund as a result of a settlement against Volkswagen.
“Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is key to addressing climate change and to reaching our commonwealth’s Climate Action Plan goals,” Gov. Wolf said. “Supporting projects that reduce emissions and pollution is a step in the right direction to ensure a better quality of life for our communities and the environment.”
Five programs were awarded $899,447 in funding from the Fast Charging and Hydrogen Fueling Grant Program, which improves Pennsylvania’s air quality by expanding the availability of electric vehicle charging and accelerating adoption of battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, and hydrogen fuel cell light-duty vehicles.
Three programs were awarded $8,689,104 in funding from the Marine and Rail Freight Movers Grant Program, which aims to improve the commonwealth’s air quality by reducing NOx emissions produced by nonroad equipment like freight switcher locomotives, ferries, and tugboats, and descriptions were evaluated for being in a priority area, such as an Environmental Justice area, an Act 47 Financially Distressed Municipality, designated high-traffic and high-population density areas, and high-pollution areas.
The Driving PA Forward Program aims to permanently reduce lifetime NOx emissions from mobile sources by as much as 27,700 tons.
A new funding round for the Fast Charging and Hydrogen Fueling grants is now open. For information and instructions on how to apply for the next round of grants, visit the Driving PA Forward website. The application period will close on Monday, January 31, 2022 at 4:00 PM.
Funds from the Fast Charging and Hydrogen Fueling Grant Program were awarded to:
Allegheny County
EVgo Services, LLC – Sheetz Freeport #619, $121,000 for the installation of four DC Fast Charge electric vehicle charging stations at a Sheetz convenience store and re-fueling station in Pittsburgh. This proposed DC Fast Charging site is designed to be able to provide 100 kW – 350 kW of charging capacity. EVgo plans to install, own, and operate the chargers. The chargers will occupy four parking spaces at this location and will be publicly accessible for use.
Lackawanna County
Raceway Management Company, Inc. – Onvo Travel Plaza – Mt.Cobb, $222,263 for the installation of two DC Fast Charge electric vehicle charging stations at the Onvo Travel Plaza in Lake Ariel. Onvo Travel Plaza – Mount Cobb, is a gas station property that is set to be redeveloped this year into a travel plaza with re-fueling services, convenience store shopping, and food offerings, such as a Burger King restaurant. This site is situated right off of Exit 8, on Interstate 84, approximately 0.1 miles from the exit.
Luzerne County
Liberty Truck Center, Inc. – Onvo Travel Plaza – Dorrance, $202,184 for the installation of two DC Fast Charge electric vehicle charging stations at the Onvo Travel Plaza in Mountain Top. Onvo Travel Plaza – Dorrance, currently known as Onvo Express – Dorrance, is a gas station property that is set to be redeveloped this year into a travel plaza with re-fueling services, convenience store shopping, and food offerings, such as a Burger King restaurant. This site is situated right off of Exit 155, on Interstate 81, approximately 0.1 miles from the exit.
Montgomery County
EVgo Services, LLC – Wawa Wyncote #8080, $177,000 for the installation of four DC Fast Charge electric vehicle charging stations at a Wawa convenience store and re-fueling station. This proposed DC Fast Charging site is designed to be able to provide 100 kW – 350 kW of charging capacity. EVgo plans to install, own, and operate the chargers. The chargers will occupy four parking spaces at this location and will be publicly accessible for use.
Philadelphia County
EVgo Services, LLC – Wawa Philadelphia #8065, $177,000 for the installation of four DC Fast Charge electric vehicle charging stations at a shopping center. This proposed DC Fast Charging site is designed to be able to provide 100 kW – 350 kW of charging capacity. EVgo plans to install, own, and operate the chargers. The chargers will occupy four parking spaces at this location and will be publicly accessible for use.
Funds from the Marine and Rail Freight Movers Grant Program were awarded to:
Allegheny County
U.S. Steel Corp – United States Steel Battery Powered Locomotives, $4,529,104 to improve air quality and reduce emissions from mobile sources by scrapping two, older, diesel-powered freight-switcher locomotives and replacing them with new, lithium-ion, battery-electric locomotives. U.S. Steel Corp. operates the Clairton Steel Works and coke plant, where metallurgical coke is produced from coal. U.S. Steel also operates the Edgar Thompson Plant, where high-carbon steel is produced. The Clairton Plant currently operates a freight-switcher fleet of two, diesel-powered locomotives, and the Edgar Thompson Plant operates a freight-switcher fleet of eight, diesel-powered locomotives. The two project locomotives being replaced under this award were built in 1964 and 1974.
Mercer County
Bessimer & Lake Erie Railroad Co. (B&LER) – Replacing diesel freight switcher locomotive by an electric model, $2,900,000 to improve air quality and reduce emissions from mobile sources by scrapping an older, diesel-powered, freight-switcher locomotive and replacing it with a new, lithium-ion, battery-electric locomotive. B&LER operates a fleet of six long-haul locomotives and four freight-switcher locomotives. The project locomotive being replaced under this award was built in 1973.
Philadelphia County
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) – SEPTA Work Train Locomotive Replacement, $1,260,000 to improve air quality and reduce emissions from mobile sources by scrapping an older, diesel-electric-powered work locomotive and replacing it with a new, EPA Tier 4 certified diesel-electric locomotive with idle-reduction technology. SEPTA’s non-revenue work locomotives perform switcher activities including yard switching, dead train rescues, and movement of maintenance of way equipment. The project locomotive being replaced under this award was built in 2008.
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