Stimulus cash earmarked for alternative fuel in DeKalb

By Kristi E. Swartz

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

DeKalb County is getting $14.9 million in federal stimulus money to build alternative-fuel stations as well as buy hybrid and alt-fuel vehicles, the U.S. Department of Energy said Wednesday.

The money is part of the DOE’s “Clean Cities” program, designed to encourage state and local governments to clean up their transportation systems.

The money will build five stations with compressed natural gas — an alternative fuel for gasoline or diesel — by first converting landfill gas to compressed natural gas. The project also includes building biodiesel, or B20, fuel station. B20 fuel is a mix of 80 percent diesel fuel and 20 percent biodiesel.

As part of the program, the county will buy 191 commercial hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles. Using these cars and trucks will displace 490,000 gallons of petroleum a year, the DOE said.

The funds are a sliver of the $6.35 billion Georgia expects to receive in federal stimulus money over the next two years. The majority of that money comes with strings attached making it difficult at this point to determine how much has been spent.

Money from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act must be tied to either creating or saving jobs. State agencies and local governments that receive Recovery Act money must track that information and report it to the federal government. The first reporting window starts on Oct. 1.