More than $1.7 million in energy costs will be saved and more than 54 million pounds in emissions reductions will take place annually.

“The Energy Harvest Program will create opportunities to better manage our energy resources in a way that also improves our environment, supports economic development and enhances our quality of life,” Pennsylvania Governor Edward G Rendell said. “The number of worthy projects seeking financial assistance greatly outpaces available state funding. The federal Recovery Act funding provides additional opportunities to invest in our future. These projects will produce short- and long-term benefits by putting people to work and creating immediate energy savings, and by producing clean, renewable energy that will help power homes for years to come.”

Rendell launched the Energy Harvest program in 2003 to promote awareness and build markets for cleaner or renewable energy technologies. Innovative projects that are eligible through the program include renewable energy deployment, including biomass; waste coal reclamation for energy; deployment of innovative efficiency technologies; and distributed generation projects. To date, Energy Harvest has provided more than $40 million to 183 projects.

“Energy Harvest is about deploying new and innovative technologies in the marketplace,” Rendell said. “By making sound financial investments in proven technologies we are making great strides in the areas of energy generation, energy conservation and pollution prevention. We are creating a more energy independent Pennsylvania for our citizens.”

Following is a list, by county, of the 12 Energy Harvest grants:

Allegheny county

Moon Township Municipal Authority — $435,000 for three 30 kW microturbines to generate electricity from unused anaerobic digester gas at its wastewater treatment plant. This project will allow them to capture the wasted gas to generate electricity while the microturbine exhaust will be used to heat the digester sludge. The microturbines are expected to generate 832,200 kWh per year, enough for 83 homes, and save the authority $66,000 per year in electricity costs. The upgrade will reduce air emissions by 1.7 million pounds annually.

Blair county

Hollidaysburg Area School District — $500,000 for the installation of a geothermal exchange system at the senior high school. The district is expected to save nearly 2 million kWh, enough for 200 homes and 335 tons of fossil fuels per year, at a cost savings of $130,000. Air emissions will be reduced by more than 4.6 million pounds annually.

Bucks county

Township of Bensalem — $450,000 to partially fund the integration of 104 kW photovoltaic roofing system onto the township building, projected to save the township $43,200 annually. The solar project is expected to generate 127,546 kWh per year, enough for 12 homes, and reduce air pollution by 270,000 pounds.

Centre county

Bald Eagle Area School District — $500,000 for the installation of a geothermal exchange system. The energy savings is expected to be 2.1 million kWh per year, enough for 210 homes, and 10.8 billion cubic feet of natural gas per year. Air emissions will be reduced by nearly 5 million pounds each year.

Chester county

Chester County Intermediate Unit — $500,000 to install a 100 kW solar photovoltaic system to reduce electric use by up to 9%, projected to save the IU $10,000 annually. The project is expected to generate 105,000 kWh per year, enough for 10 homes, and to reduce air pollution by more than 135,000 pounds.

Great Valley School District — $500,000 for the purchase of a 131 kW solar array on the middle school. The energy benefits will save 159,670 kWh, enough to power 16 homes, and $48,412 per year. The environmental benefit will reduce air emissions by 170,000 pounds per year.

Columbia county

Bloomsburg University — $500,000 to replace one of five existing boilers with a biomass boiler using locally generated wood chips as fuel. The biomass boiler would supply the majority of the steam plant’s load and reduce fossil fuel consumption, and emissions, by 67%.

Crawford county

Crawford Central School District — $500,000 to install a biomass-fired, district hot water heating system. The biomass feedstock of wood chips and switchgrass is locally available and will provide costs savings, as compared to natural gas, of up to 55%.

Lancester county

Lancaster County Conservation District — $500,000 on behalf of Meadow Valley Dairy to deploy an anaerobic manure digester for electricity generation. The system is expected to generate more than 2 million kWh per year of electricity, enough for 200 homes. The project will save the farm and/or generate electricity sales by up to $250,722 per year.

PP&L Sustainable Energy Fund — $263,416 to construct a compact anaerobic digester for manure conversion and on-farm electricity generation at the Meadow Springs Farm. The system is expected to generate 390,000 kWh per year of electricity, enough for 39 homes, and will save the farm $52,000 per year in electricity costs. The project will displace air and water pollution from conventional generation.

Lancaster County Conservation District — $474,502 on behalf of Esbenshade Greenhouses to install a combined heat and power system powered by biomass-wood and possibly chicken litter. In addition to generating electrical power and heat, plans include an energy conservation program anticipated to reduce current electrical demands by a minimum of 5%. About 1,980 MW hours, enough for 198 homes, is to be generated – 500 kWh in excess of current consumption. The value of marketed excess power is estimated at $188,000 annually.

Somerset county

Somerset County Conservation District — $199,000 on behalf of Dovan Farms to increase the generation capacity of an anaerobic digester from 90 kW to 150 kW. Originally funded by Energy Harvest, the digester is operating at capacity. An additional generator and balance of the system will be installed to utilize excess biogas being produced. The modification is expected to generate an additional 300,000 kWh per year of electricity (enough for 30 homes) and will displace air and water pollution from conventional generation.