PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) will receive $24.2 million in federal stimulus money to buy hybrid buses and convert trolleys to hybrid propulsion, the state’s congressional delegation announced yesterday.

The money was included as part of the economic stimulus package signed into law by President Barack Obama in February.

The $24.2 million will pay for the purchase of 20 new, 40-foot hybrid buses; the conversion of 10 trolleys from diesel power to hybrid diesel-electric propulsion; and capital maintenance and transit upgrades in different parts of the state, lawmakers said.

“These new hybrid buses will help save fuel and money while reducing pollution,” U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said in a statement.

“These green buses will help improve Rhode Island’s public transportation system and save taxpayer dollars in the long run,” added U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, D-R.I., who returned to Congress this week after spending time in a rehabilitation clinic.