Xpress Natural Gas will receive $200,000 from the Alternative Fuel Incentive Grant (AFIG) program to purchase 10 compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, Rep. Jonathan Fritz (Susquehanna/Wayne) announced today.
Xpress Natural Gas will use the CNG vehicles to collect stranded gas from gathering systems in Susquehanna County, and then compress and transport that gas to CNG public fueling for residents. The project includes a new station that will be owned by the applicant. The vehicles are expected to save 384,615 gallons of gasoline per year.
A CNG vehicle is an alternative fuel vehicle that uses compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a cleaner alternative to other fossil fuels.
“It’s great to see innovation and opportunity come together to provide an additional benefit afforded by our clean energy resources and the natural gas industry,” said Fritz. “I commend Xpress Natural Gas for seeking out this grant program.”
The AFIG programs is currently not accepting new applications. The last submission period for 2016 applications closed on Dec. 30, 2016. DEP expects to reopen the AFIG program in 2017, with the next application submission date due in the spring. The AFIG Fund was established under Act 166 of 1992 and is administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) through the Energy Office.
In total, DEP awarded more than $1.9 million to Pennsylvania schools and businesses for projects using alternative fuels and infrastructure. The Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant (AFIG) awards grants for projects to improve air quality through alternative fuel use.