SENATOR WOZNIAK ANNOUNCES $550,000 IN PA ENERGY HARVEST GRANTS FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES

HARRISBURG, February 9, 2004 – Two local businesses will receive more than $550,000 in grant monies for clean and renewable energy projects under the Pennsylvania Energy Harvest program, state Sen. John N. Wozniak announced today.

Schrack Farms Partnership of Loganton, Clinton County, and River Hill Coal Company, Inc. of Karthaus, Clearfield County, each will receive Pennsylvania Energy Harvest grants from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Wozniak said. 

          “Our region needs to invest in cutting-edge clean energy technology and other projects that will make Pennsylvania a top place to live, work and do business,” Wozniak said.

“These two companies made the right choice for the environment and the economy by integrating clean energy sources into their new projects,” Wozniak added. “They deserve our full support.”

Schrack Farms Partnership, a 200-year-old family dairy farm located within the High Quality Stream of the Sugar Valley Fishing Creek Watershed, will receive a $357,000 Energy Harvest grant to complete an anaerobic digester project.

The farm plans to incorporate a 160-kilowatt generator, which will produce 4.8 million kilowatt-hours of electricity. Waste heat from the process will be used to support the digester and augment the dairy’s hot water boiler. The Clinton County Conservation District submitted the project for grant approval on behalf of Schrack Farms Partnership.

River Hill Coal Company, Inc. will receive a $200,000 Energy Harvest grant to develop a 290 megawatt waste coal-fired power plant, which will be located adjacent to an active mine in Clearfield County.

The new power plant is anticipated to consume up to 2 million tons of waste coal per year and generate more than 2 million megawatt-hours of low-cost electricity, with capabilities for generating high-quality steam. In addition, the plant is projected to create a host of employment opportunities, including: 1,000 temporary construction jobs, 300 permanent mining and transportation jobs, 60 permanent power plant operation jobs and other secondary and tertiary jobs.

The Pennsylvania Energy Harvest grant program was instated in 2003 to encourage Pennsylvania businesses to pursue clean and renewable energy projects from advanced energy sources such as biomass, wind, solar, small-scale hydroelectric and waste-coal. The program, which was allotted just $5 million in its first year, has already received 139 applications and requests for $45 million in funding that would generate $96 million in private investment. Gov. Edward G. Rendell’s proposed 2004-2005 budget would allot $80 million for the Energy Harvest program.

###