Warrington Township News. Photo by James Short.
The Shapiro Administration announced this week that $2.3 million in grant funding has been awarded to state schools, businesses, and governmental offices in order to lower area emissions. Zero- and low-emission vehicles are being funded to help improve environmental impacts in Pennsylvania. The funding is part of a cleaner fuel transportation infrastructure initiative of the Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant (AFIG) program.
Among the grantees were two Bucks County-based beneficiaries. Amber Dawn Photography, a Bucks and Philadelphia area photography business specializing in wedding and engagement photos, was awarded a grant for $7,500. Funds are to be used for the purchase of an "electric vehicle" (EV) passenger automobile. Amber, the business’ owner, is an award-winning and published photographer, according to her website.
She has a bachelor’s and master’s degree from New York University, where she studied art management, which included classical ballet among her focal points. She currently resides in Bucks County, where she shares a home with her husband, Matt, two children, Siena and Sullivan, and her dog, Jasper.
A second grant was awarded to Warrington Township’s local government. The township will receive $15,000 for the purchase of two, EV passenger vehicles. The vehicles are to be used in the area, as it has been designated an “Environmental Justice” area, or EJ area.
A state-of-the-art mapping tool is used by the Pennsylvania Department of Energy (DEP) in order to determine EJ areas within the commonwealth. The tool is designed to use “more than 30 environmental, health, and socioeconomic indicators” in order to find areas in need. EJ areas are defined as “any census tract where 20 percent or more of the individuals live at or below the federal poverty line, and/or 30 percent or more of the population identifies as a non-white minority.” Figures are based off of the United States Census Bureau, as well as federal guidelines for poverty.
According to the Census data online, the last estimate of population in Warrington Township, taken on July 1, 2023, was noted at 26,175 people. Of those residents, 81 percent are described as white, alone, with no other ethnicities or races present. Only 2.7 percent were listed as persons in poverty. However, many areas of the township fall into the highest rating on the “Penn EnvironScreen” scoring data.
The screening score takes into account not only the area’s pollution, but also its environment, population, socioeconomic, and even sensitivities to poor air quality, such as counting the number in the area with asthma, cancer, or heart disease. The tool can measure those on disability in a section of the community, or if they have no health insurance at all.
In Montgomery County, two Blue Bell-based businesses were granted the funding via the same grant program. Suburban Transit Network Inc. will receive $221,516 in for the purchase of eight Class 3 propane transit vans. These vehicles will operate in Environmental Justice areas. John S. Posen Inc. will receive $11,010 for the purchase of one Class propane truck. The project is also located in an EJ area.
“Alternative fuel vehicles are an effective and modern way to fight climate change and air pollution, so it’s promising to see our state government embracing them through grants like these,” said Pennsylvania State Representative Liz Hanbidge, who represents the state’s 61st district in Montgomery County. “By investing in clean transportation, we are not only reducing our carbon footprint and improving air quality, but also paving the way for a sustainable future.”
The state government agreed with the goal to improve the environment.
"This funding builds on the Shapiro Administration's commitment to address climate change through alternative fuel solutions that are reliable and efficient. AFIG aims to increase sustainable and renewable energy throughout Pennsylvania's transportation sector, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality for many communities," said DEP Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley. "A substantial amount of air pollution comes from cars and trucks on the road, and through these projects, we are making Pennsylvania's air cleaner. The awarded AFIG projects reflect an array of low- and zero-emission transportation and electric vehicle infrastructure that will reduce air pollution."
According to the DEP, in Pennsylvania, 47 percent of nitrogen oxide emissions come from gasoline and diesel vehicles, and transportation contributes up to 22 percent of Pennsylvania's overall greenhouse gas emissions.
The awards of the grants will save an estimated 895,231 gallons of gasoline per year, the DEP said.
In total, the AFIG grant program awarded funding to 27 different projects. The projects will result in the deployment of 85 alternative fuel vehicles, including 63 electric and renewable natural gas vehicles, and will install 22 new Level-2 chargers and three DC Fast chargers for electric vehicles.
In total, 17 projects are located in or serve EJ areas, including the Warrington Township project.
Funding for these projects comes from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s AFIG program. Amber Dawn Photography and Warrington Township are just two of 25 grant recipients statewide.
A full list of awardees and further information on the AFIG program are available online here.
