The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is offering $1 million in grant funding to farmers and small businesses. The funding will be available through its Small Business Advantage grant program for projects related to pollution prevention, natural resource protection and energy efficiency.
To be eligible, a small business must have 100 employees or less and its proposed project must provide a minimum of 25% or $500 in annual savings in expenses related to pollution control and energy consumption.
Business owners can apply for matching funds of up to $7,000 to acquire or adopt pollution prevention or energy efficient processes and equipment. The grant will only cover costs incurred between July 2019 and June 2020.
Examples of eligible projects include boiler and HVAC upgrades, auxiliary power units for trucks, solvent recovery systems, high-efficiency LED lighting and waste recycling systems.
DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell, says that the state government is committed to helping farmers and small business owners who want to help the environment, increase their profitability and become energy efficient. Interested parties may apply until April 2020 or until the funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.
