As part of its ongoing $100 million annual clean transportation program, California energy officials approved another $5.58 million in grants Wednesday to multiple projects, and separately a regional air pollution control board added $3.8 million for hydraulic hybrid gas-powered and other heavy duty fleet vehicles operating in the air quality region.

The awards from the California Energy Commission (CEC) are part of a statewide effort to invest in various new transportation technology that can have an impact longer term in helping the state address global climate change issues.

The grants are funded by various vehicular and boating registration fees, along with smog check and license plate fees assessed by the state.

San Diego-based Buster Biofuels LLC was awarded $2.6 million from the CEC to convert a 7,300 square foot industrial warehouse building into a biodiesel manufacturing and fueling facility. The biodiesel would be created from various renewable waste-based materials, such as simple cooking oil from restaurants.

Three separate grants totaling $560,000 were awarded to bus and truck providers to buy down propane-powered school buses, light duty vehicles and light- and medium-duty trucks. Those dealers are located in San Bernardino and San Joaquin counties.

The rest of the CEC grant funds ($2.3 million) were awarded to San Mateo County-based Motiv Power Systems Inc. for assembling power control systems for electric vehicles.

Separately, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District approved nine grants totaling $3.8 million for a variety of gaseous fuels vehicles and fueling systems. The grants are mostly between $400,000 and $500,000, some to demonstrate new fuels in heavy duty trucking (Oberon Fuels Inc.) and others to demonstrate a biogas cleaning and pipeline injection system by Colony Energy Partners LLC.

Industrial Waste and Salvage received $500,000 for a demonstration project converting landfill gas into compressed natural gas (CNG) for a vehicle fueling project. Capstone Turbine won $486,000 to demonstrate a CNG-powered turbine extended range Class 7 truck.

©Copyright 2013Intelligence Press Inc. All rights reserved. The preceding news reportmay not be republished or redistributed, in whole or in part, in anyform, without prior written consent of Intelligence Press, Inc.