The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection announced that $1 million in 2021 Small Business Advantage Grant funding is available to small businesses and farmers who want to improve their operations through energy efficiency, pollution prevention and natural resource protection.
“Many small business owners with an innovative mindset see the economic opportunity in energy efficiency and sustainability. DEP is committed to assisting small business owners and small farmers in Pennsylvania who want to improve their operations, reduce operating costs, and increase profitability, while helping to improve the natural resources all Pennsylvanians depend on,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell.
Pennsylvania small business owners and farmers with 100 or fewer full-time employees can get Small Business Advantage Grants for HVAC and boiler upgrades, high-efficiency LED lighting, solvent recovery and waste recycling systems, auxiliary power units that eliminate truck engine idling, and other projects that reduce energy use.
Grant funding also supports streambank buffers, fencing to keep livestock out of streams, and other agricultural stormwater runoff management projects that reduce sediment and nutrient pollution in local waters.
The 2021 Small Business Advantage Grants program has $1 million available for projects. Small businesses and farms can apply for 50 percent matching funds up to $5,000. Extra consideration is given to those in Environmental Justice areas. Information on how to apply is available at dep.pa.gov/smallbusinessadvantagegrants.
Last year, 212 small businesses and farms received more than $950,000 in total funding. Their projects saved over 6.6 million kilowatt hours of electricity, reduced diesel fuel use by over 20,000 gallons, eliminated almost 73 tons of coal use, prevented over 200,000 pounds of sediment and 7,000 pounds of nitrogen from entering waterways, and had other positive impacts on the environment.
The Small Business Advantage Grants program is funded through the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act of 1988.
