The state Department of Environmental Protection yesterday unveiled a Hybrid Electric and Alternative Fuel Vehicle Rebate program to provide Pennsylvania residents $500 rebates to help with the incremental costs of purchasing hybrid vehicles or those powered by alternative fuel.

To qualify for the $500 rebate, the vehicle must be registered in Pennsylvania and operated mainly within the state. The rebate will be offered on a first come, first-serve basis throughout the calendar year as long as funds are available.

To claim the rebate, vehicle purchasers must submit a completed form no more than six months after the purchase to: Department of Environmental Protection, HEV-AFV Rebate Program, P.O. Box 8772, Harrisburg, Pa., 17105-8772.

Those applying should enclose a copy of their state vehicle registration, a copy of the dealers invoice and proof of the vehicle purchase. For alternative fuel vehicles only, the alternative fuel components must be clearly identified.

Interested persons can call Cleo Arp at DEP at 717-772-8912 for a rebate form. It is also available at DEP's website, www.dep.state.pa.us.

"Alternative fuel and hybrid vehicles save consumers money, especially as fuel prices continue to rise, and [they] enhance America's energy security by making our nation less dependent on foreign oil," DEP Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty said.