Delaware County Awarded 2022 Alternative Fuel Leadership Award
Released: December 13, 2022
Delaware County has been awarded a 2022 Alternative Fuel Leadership Award from the Eastern Pennsylvania Alliance for Clean Transportation (EP-ACT) for its commitment to deploying alternative fuel technologies. EP-ACT is one of nearly 90 coalitions in the United States sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Vehicle Technologies Program that is tasked with reducing petroleum consumption within the transportation sector through partnerships with public, private, and municipal stakeholders.
The Alternative Fuel Leadership Award comes just months after Delaware County received a $600,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to expedite the replacement of its aging fleet of gas-based vehicles. The grant is being used to purchase 69 new electric vehicles and 22 new charging stations—29 of which will be dedicated to the County's Health Department.
In 2021, the County received an Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant (AFIG) award from the DEP which was used to fund the purchase of 15 electric vehicles at $112,500 and install six charging stations at $35,740.
"Delaware County is taking concrete steps to reduce its reliance on gas burning vehicles as part of an overall plan to protect our environment and create an economic model built on sustainability," said Delaware County Sustainability Officer Francine Locke. “Thank you to the Department of Energy and to the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission for working with us to secure this critical funding that will allow us to make these necessary investments."
The vehicles purchased from both grants will displace 52,080 gallons of gasoline use per year and are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 262 tons per year.
Transitioning to alternatively powered vehicles is just one part of Delaware County's overall sustainability plan. In addition to creating a Delaware County Sustainability Commission and Office of Sustainability, the County has begun examining government operations and engaging with the community to develop a long-term Sustainability and Climate Action Plan. The principles guiding the new plan include economic sustainability, education, equity, inclusion, and justice and governance.
For more information please visit the Office of Sustainability’s website at delcopa.gov/sustainability.
