The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) awarded $516,637 in clean diesel grants to four organizations. Each of the four recipients will match a percentage of the grant amount with their own funds to purchase compressed natural gas-powered vehicles; retrofit diesel engines with cleaner technology; replace older, more polluting diesel buses with cleaner diesel buses; or purchase hybrid electric-powered buses. MORE

Researchers at Pennsylvania State University and MIT believe they have developed a new solid-state polymer electrolyte for use in electrochemical devices including fuel cells and batteries. Tags: Electric cars Fuel Cells Green cars Latest news electric car batteries fuel cell cars mit Pennsylvania State University researchers solid-state polymer electrolytes MORE

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is accepting grant applications for innovative, advanced fuel, and vehicle technology projects that will result in cleaner advanced alternative transportation within the commonwealth. The AFIG Program can assist school districts, municipal authorities, nonprofits, corporations, LLCs, and partnerships registered to do business in Pennsylvania in offsetting the costs of implementing alternative fuel using transportation projects. MORE

If you drive a plug-in electric or hybrid car, you may have encountered the reserved ‘green car only’ parking spaces that some towns, cities and businesses put in parking lots to reward you for choosing a green car. We’ve even heard of parking garages where owners of plug-in cars pay less than everyone else to park, but now a MORE

New Jersey was always the place for residents of neighboring states—Delaware, New York, and Pennsylvania—to buy cheap gasoline. That era ended two days ago, when a political deal struck between its legislature and the governor raised the state gas tax by a whopping 23 cents a gallon. Today, a new coalition launched with the aim of. electric utilities plug-in cars state laws transportation policy New Jersey MORE

Chairman and CEO Nicholas DeBenedict made the announcement before the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s Alternative Fuel Vehicles forum held at Drexel University in Philadelphia. As both a former DEP [Department of Environmental Protection] and Economic Development Secretary for the Commonwealth, I believe that the natural gas industry in Pennsylvania will become the biggest economic driver in the state since days of coal and steel. Aqua Pennsylvania, Inc., MORE

The fast chargers are available in California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, North and South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin. BMW and Nissan are partnering to offer public DC Fast charging at 120 locations across 19 states in an effort to support Nissan LEAF and BMW i3 customers and to promote increased adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) nationwide. MORE

Field implementation and testing of physical processing technology will occur in Kentucky, with subsequent chemical processing in Pennsylvania. MORE

Inventor Richard Wallace is seeking to co-fund its development with a matching $35,000 grant from the state of Pennsylvania. OEMs don’t (and won’t) make a vehicle like this, however, with Kickstarter contributions—and an already-applied-for Pennsylvania state matching grant—this project aims to design & rapid-prototype our own roof-mount solution in a few months. The Kickstarter project depends on winning the Pennsylvania grant. MORE

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is temporarily waiving federal clean diesel fuel requirements in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and in and around New York City to allow the use of home heating oil—if ultra low-sulfur diesel fuel is not available—in highway vehicles, non-road vehicles, and non-road equipment designated by those states for emergency response. MORE

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is now accepting applications through the state’s $6 million Alternative Fuel Incentive Grant program (AFIG) for fuel or fuel-saving projects throughout the state. School districts, municipal authorities, political subdivisions, nonprofit entities, corporations, and limited liability companies or partnerships incorporated or registered in Pennsylvania are eligible to apply. MORE

Pennsylvania has awarded more than $3 million in Fuel Incentive Grants (AFIG) to 33 companies, counties and organizations making the switch to compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), or propane for medium to light-weight fleet vehicles. AFIG grants are an annual solicitation, providing financial incentive for a variety of transportation projects with the result of reducing air emissions in Pennsylvania. MORE

The company will be delivering initial, pre-production units to selected lead customers and partners throughout 2013 and will begin shipping production units from its high-volume manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania at the end of this year. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Aquion’s proprietary aqueous hybrid ion chemistry is based on the research of Carnegie Mellon University Professor Jay Whitacre. Aquion Energy , Inc., MORE

The town of Titusville, Pennsylvania, considers itself the birthplace of the oil industry. After locals struck crude near the appropriately-named Oil Creek, what is now viewed as the first commercial oil well was dug there. MORE

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) began accepting applications 1 December for its Natural Gas Vehicle Grant program, which will provide up to $20 milli on over the next three years to help pay for the incremental purchase and conversion costs of heavy-duty natural gas fleet vehicles. MORE

Today on Green Car Reports: Tesla Motors gains ground in Pennsylvania, full pricing and options information for the 2015 BMW i8 plug-in hybrid, and Audi plans a plug-in hybrid version of each major model. All this and more on Green Car Reports. We''ve updated our June plug-in electric car sales report with additional figures. Beijing plans 1,000 DC MORE

The Volvo Group has chosen Pennsylvania State University to be the first North American member of Volvo’s Academic Partner Program, which was launched globally in 2009 for research cooperation with selected universities. Cooperation in Volvo’s Academic Partner Program encompasses research in areas such as production technology, engine development, and automotive safety. MORE

Pennsylvania’s Public-Private Partnership (P3) Board has approved a project seeking a private partner to develop compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations at public transit agencies around the state that would also provide public access to the facilities. In September 2012, Corbett signed into law the Public and Private Partnerships for Transportation Act, which authorized P3 projects in Pennsylvania. MORE

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will award more than $4.4 The grants, funded by a portion of the state’s annual utilities gross receipts tax, are intended to encourage new markets for alternative fuels, fleets and technologies across Pennsylvania. This will be the first use of heavy-duty trucks in Pennsylvania that feature the Cummins Westport ISL G 11.9-liter 400 HP engine. MORE

Panda Power Funds has entered into a joint venture with Sunbury Generation LP to develop, finance, construct and operate a 1,000 megawatt natural gas-fueled, combined-cycle power project near Shamokin Dam in Snyder County, Pennsylvania. The existing ash basin and impoundment area will be closed under the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) regulations. MORE

the largest transit bus and motor coach manufacturer and parts distributor in North America, is advancing production of 105 Xcelsior diesel-electric hybrid, forty-foot heavy-duty transit buses for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). The SEPTA buses will be deployed in the City of Philadelphia and surrounding suburbs of Delaware, Montgomery, Bucks, and Chester, supporting four million people living in and around southeastern Pennsylvania. MORE

The Board of SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority) today approved the purchase of 525 40-foot, low-floor diesel-electric hybrid buses via a $411.8-million, five-year contract with New Flyer of America. Pennsylvania Act 89 was passed in November 2013 to provide a stable source of funding for transportation improvements statewide, such as infrastructure repairs and replacement of aging vehicles. MORE

According to Governeor Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania, South Korean based CT&T, makers of NEVs, will build a production and distribution facility here in the states. CT&T is known for their various short distance neighborhood electric vehicles that offer low speed and mid speed capabilities. Their vehicles are priced around $12,000 and MORE

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has awarded New Flyer a contract for up to 550 heavy-duty 40-foot Xcelsior diesel electric hybrid buses. Earlier post.). The contract includes a firm order for 90 Xcelsior XDE40 buses valued at approximately US$50 million, with options for an additional 460 units over the next 5 years. All buses will be delivered between the period of 2017 to 2020. MORE

Range now has approximately 184 CNG vehicles in its corporate fleet, with 100 serving its growing southwestern Pennsylvania operations. Range Resources Corporation announced that its vehicle fleet is now being largely fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG). Range Resources is an independent oil and natural gas producer with operations focused in Appalachia and the southwest region of the United States. The vehicle models purchased by Range are the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and Ram 2500. MORE

Accelergy Corporation recently was awarded an alternative and clean energy program grant from the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Financing Authority to fund a feasibility study to evaluate the viability of the company’s integrated Coal-Biomass-to-Liquids (CBTL) process with the assistance of Raytheon Company and Carbon Cycle Technology Alliance partner A2BE CarbonCapture, LLC. MORE

intends to open two production and distribution facilities in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell made the announcement at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. The company is focusing on sites on the Delaware River in Philadelphia for its initial Pennsylvania location. South Korea-based CT&T Co. Earlier post.) CT&T makes low- and mid-speed, short-distance neighborhood electric vehicles that pass crash tests required for regular passenger cars. MORE

The plant will be located at the site of the retired Sunbury coal-fired power plant near Shamokin Dam in Snyder County, Pennsylvania. The Panda Hummel generating station will also help preserve Pennsylvania’s fresh water resources by using 97% less water for cooling purposes than the retired coal-fired Sunbury plant. The 829 megawatt “Liberty” power plant, located in Towanda, Pennsylvania, is expected to enter commercial operations in the first quarter of 2016. MORE

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has found high rare earth element (REE) concentrations in coal samples taken from the Illinois, Northern Appalachian, Central Appalachian, Rocky Mountain Coal Basins, and the Pennsylvania Anthracite region. Meanwhile, UK analyzed western Kentucky bituminous coal in the Illinois Coal Basin, and XLight Corporation investigated coal-related materials in the Eastern Pennsylvania Anthracite Region. MORE

Exposure to fine particulate air pollution (PM 2.5 ) during pregnancy through the first two years of a child’s life may be associated with an increased risk of the child developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a condition that affects one in 68 children, according to a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health investigation of children in southwestern Pennsylvania. Southwestern Pennsylvania has consistently ranked among the nation’s worst regions for PM 2.5 MORE

That latest boost comes from Pennsylvania, where the state''s House of Representatives has passed legislation allowing Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] to sell through its first-party retail store model. Tesla''s long battle against state franchise laws is still underway, but every so often it does get a boost of positive news. MORE

Pennsylvania recently announced the investment of $7.9 —$750,000—to purchase 29 compressed natural gas ( CNG ) and electric/plug-in vehicles , and to install 10 public electric vehicle charging stations—the first of their kind in Pennsylvania. Waste Management of Pennsylvania Inc. Energy Cooperative Association of Pennsylvania —$631,787 – to help 12 school districts purchase and use 1.8 million in 21 alternative fuel projects in the state. MORE

Recently I had the opportunity to speak at the annual Pennsylvania Energy Festival ( [link] ) back in September of this year. The True Cause of Recessions: OIL. By Douglas A. Stansfield. I was asked to speak about the economic impact of our oil dependency and so I began researching this topic to see if I could draw some insightful conclusions. My initial analysis looked at the recessions that have happened within my lifetime and since I am 45 years old that record goes back to the 1970s. MORE

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has opened its Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant (AFIG) Natural Gas Vehicle program. The program will provide an estimated $10 million in grants to help companies and organizations purchase or convert medium to light-weight natural gas vehicles. During last year’s natural gas vehicle seminars, we heard from many municipal, commercial and non-profit groups that wanted to convert their lighter-weight vehicles to natural gas. MORE

Bionol Clearfield, LLC and Perdue BioEnergy, a wholly owned subsidiary of Perdue AgriBusiness Incorporated, have entered into an agreement to have Perdue supply feedstock and sell co-products for Bionol’s 110 million gallon per year ethanol plant in Clearfield, Pennsylvania. MORE

The Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has selected Pennsylvania State University as the lead institution to establish the University Coalition for Fossil Energy Research. The Coalition will bring together a multi-disciplinary team of researchers from participating universities to address the fundamental research challenges that impede advancement of fossil energy-based technologies. DOE will invest $20 million in the project. MORE

Accelergy Corporation has received a $1.3-million grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to move forward on the construction of a facility to demonstrate its integrated coal-biomass-to-liquids (CBTL) technology platform ( earlier post ) at Intertek PARC, located at the U-PARC facility in Pittsburgh. The grant was approved with a unanimous vote from the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Financing Authority. Dave Kessler first brought the company to Pennsylvania. MORE

The Pennsylvania Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant (AFIG) program has awarded Axion Power International, Inc. Energy Cooperative Association of Pennsylvania. an $800,000 grant to demonstrate Axion’s proprietary PbC battery technology ( earlier post ) in a variety of electric vehicle types including: hybrids (HEVs); plug-in hybrid electric (PHEVs) used in commuter, delivery and other vehicles; and EVs , including converted (from combustion engine operation) EVs. MORE

Researchers, led by a team from the University of Pennsylvania, have used a polymer-folding mechanism to develop a new and versatile kind of solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) that currently offers proton conductivity faster than Nafion by a factor of 2, the benchmark for fuel cell membranes. MORE

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will extend the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Rebate program once it reaches its milestone of awarding 500 $3,500 rebates for large-battery system plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and battery-electric vehicles. To qualify, the vehicle must be registered in Pennsylvania, operated primarily in-state and be purchased no more than six months before the rebate application is submitted. MORE

The Morning Call reported the company also owes Pennsylvania more than $2 million; state lawyers are initiating efforts to recover some of the debt. Express-Times. Li-ion manufacturer International Battery ( earlier post ) shut down recently, citing its inability to turn a profit. The company said it would sell its assets and technology and use that money to pay creditors. MORE

BARTA is the first major transportation authority in Pennsylvania to deploy fully electric vehicles, and the first in the US to deploy electric paratransit vehicles. The BARTA project is being funded by Momentum Dynamics, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania-Department of Environmental Protection, and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. MORE

A little known company based in Pennsylvania called East Penn Mfg. was awarded $32.5 million in federal grants to increase their development and commercialization of a breakthrough Australian UltraBattery technology for use in micro and mild hybrid vehicles. The grant awarded came from the $2.4 billion in funds from the federal MORE