Georgia to get stimulus funds for clean diesel projects

Some of Georgia’s ports and truck stops will get federal stimulus money to help clean up emissions from idling ships and trucks, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Monday.

As part of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the EPA will send $164,964 to the Georgia Ports Authority and $748,000 to the state’s natural resources department to help with clean-technology diesel projects.

Both buckets of money will support grants for emission-curbing technology. It is unclear at this point how many jobs will be created.

At Georgia’s ports, the money will be used to retrofit cargo equipment so it can run on ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel, reducing emissions by one-third, or 13.7 percent over the next 15 months, the EPA said.

Money for the DNR will go toward more energy-efficient technology at three truck stops. It is unclear at this point how much impact this project will have on emissions.

Ports and truck stops nationwide are under pressure to limit emissions from idling ships and trucks. What’s more, the Obama administration has made curbing greenhouse gases a priority in efforts to shift the nation toward renewable fuels such as wind and solar power so it can become less dependent on foreign oil.

All told, the state expects to receive $367.5 million in federal stimulus money for energy and environmental projects, according to information provided earlier by the governor’s office. The money is the fourth-largest amount of stimulus funds flowing into the state