New State Investments Will Reduce Energy Costs for Pennsylvania Taxpayers, Businesses

HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- New state investments in alternative, clean and renewable energy will help consumers, businesses and municipalities reduce energy use and save money.

"Today's new investments help Pennsylvania strengthen its commitment to develop and deploy clean, safe energy technology," said Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary C. Alan Walker. "These new projects help businesses, families and local communities save money by becoming more energy efficient, and will result in nearly $58 million in additional economic investments in communities statewide." 

Projects in eight counties will receive funding for the use, development and construction of alternative and clean energy projects.

The Alternative and Clean Energy Program and the Renewable Energy Program provide grant and loan funds to support alternative, clean and renewable energy projects. The programs are administered jointly by the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), under the direction of the Commonwealth Financing Authority.

For more information about additional DCED programs, visit www.newPA.com or call 1-866-466-3972.

Editor's Note: The projects approved by the Commonwealth Financing Authority are listed below (potential cost-savings are estimated by DCED using standard industry methodology): 

Bedford County

Northern Bedford School District will receive a $746,192 Alternative and Clean Energy Program grant to purchase and install a central biomass system to heat three campus buildings in Woodbury Township. The new heating system, which runs on wood chips, will offset fuel oil consumption by 84 percent, and is expected to result in an annual energy savings of $145,000. 

Blair County

Altoona Regional Health System will receive a $197,736 Alternative and Clean Energy Program loan to finance energy efficiency upgrades at the Altoona Regional Main Hospital Campus. The new 40-ton chiller replacement, lighting retrofit, and installation of variable-frequency drives on air handlers, is expected to reduce electricity consumption by 1.3 million kilowatt-hours per year, for an annual energy savings of $82,000. 

Cambria County

Patton Wind Farm will receive a $3.2 million Renewable Energy Program grant to purchase and install fifteen 2-MW wind turbines in Elder, West Carroll and East Carroll townships. The project is expected to produce 94.6 million kilowatt-hours of energy annually and create three jobs. 

Clarion County

Clarion Laminates LLC will receive a $400,000 Alternative and Clean Energy Program loan to purchase and install a pelletizer at its facility in Shippenville Borough. The pelletizer will produce wood pellets from milling dust that will offset the purchase of wood fuel for the existing heat plant, and is expected to create four new jobs. 

Geothermal Projects – Bucks, Dauphin, Franklin, Montgomery counties

The Commonwealth Financing Authority board approved $412,715 in Renewable Energy Program loans to purchase and install four geothermal systems in Bucks, Dauphin, Franklin and Montgomery counties that are expected to collectively reduce energy usage by 1.7 million BTUs annually.     

Media contact: Theresa Elliott, 717-783-1132

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development