HALIFAX -- Nova Scotia will invest $4.25-million in transportation 'green' initiatives, nearly half of which will go towards pilot projects implementing fuel efficient heavy truck technology.

The funding announcement was made this week by Bill Estabrooks, Minister responsible for Conserve Nova Scotia and Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau.

According to the government, $1 million will go towards the purchase of heavy-duty hybrid vehicles, including bucket trucks and other fleet vehicles.

Spokesman Toby Koffman told todaystrucking.com in an email that the money is to cover the incremental cost of adopting the technology as part of a pilot project involving a select number of carriers. Up to 20 applications for $50,000 toward the purchase of a new hybrid truck will be accepted.

Another $1 million will go towards the adoption of anti-idling devices, aerodynamic improvements, fuel-efficient, wide-base tires, and other fuel-reducing technologies for class 8 trucks.

Koffman says the exact details of how these devices will be financially supported are still being finalized by staff.

He adds that officials will be collecting data over the next year to evaluate the hybrid trucks and fuel efficient device programs.

Meanwhile, $1.35 million of the fund will go to equip school buses with fuel-efficient technology such as heaters and timers, route optimization software, and emission control technology and $150,000 will be used for a public education and awareness campaign promoting fuel-efficient personal vehicles.

The investment will come from the ecoNova Scotia Clean Air and Climate Change fund.