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Florida Incentives and Laws

Listed below are the summaries of all current Florida incentives, laws, regulations, funding opportunities, and other initiatives related to alternative fuels and vehicles, advanced technologies, or air quality. You can go directly to summaries of:

• State Incentives (6)
• Utility/Private Incentives (1)
• Laws and Regulations (12)

State Incentives

Alternative Fuels Production Incentive

The Innovation Incentive Program within the Florida Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development provides resources for business projects that allow the state to compete effectively for high-value research and development, including alternative and renewable energy projects. To qualify, an alternative and renewable energy project must involve collaboration with an institution of higher education; provide the state a minimum full return on investment within a 20-year period; include matching funds from the applicant or other available sources; and be located in Florida. Additional criteria may apply. For the purpose of this incentive, alternative and renewable energy means electrical, mechanical, or thermal energy produced using one or more of the following energy sources: ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, biobutanol, biodiesel, biomass, biogas, hydrogen fuel cells, ocean energy, hydrogen, solar, hydro, wind, or geothermal. Incentive awards are subject to state funding availability. (Reference Florida Statutes 288.1089)

Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Equipment Financing

Property owners may apply to their local government for funding to help finance EVSE installations on their property or enter into a financing agreement with the local government for the same purpose. (Reference Florida Statutes 163.08)

Excise Tax Exemption for Biodiesel Production at Schools

Biodiesel fuel that a public or private secondary school manufactures is exempt from the diesel fuel excise tax and the associated registration requirements. To qualify for the exemption, total annual production of biodiesel must be less than 1,000 gallons and may only be used by the school, its employees, or its students. (Reference Florida Statutes 206.874)

Renewable Energy Grants

The Renewable Energy and Energy-Efficient Technologies Grants Program and Farm to Fuel Grants Program provide matching grants for demonstration, commercialization, research, and development projects related to renewable energy technologies or bioenergy. Incentive awards are subject to state funding availability. As of June 2011, these programs have not been funded for 2011; however, federal funding may be available through the Florida Energy and Climate Commission to support selected state energy grant programs. (Reference Florida Statutes 377.804 and 570.954)

Idle Reduction Weight Exemption

Any motor vehicle equipped with idle reduction technology may exceed the gross vehicle or internal bridge weight by the amount equal to the certified weight of the idle reduction technology, up to 400 pounds. To be eligible, the operator must present written verification of the weight of the idle reduction technology and demonstrate that it is fully functional at all times. (Reference Florida Statutes 316.545)

High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lane Exemption

Drivers may operate Inherently Low Emission Vehicles (ILEV) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) in HOV lanes at any time, regardless of the number of passengers, provided that the vehicles are certified and labeled in accordance with federal regulations. All eligible ILEVs and HEVs must comply with the minimum fuel economy standards set forth in Title 23 of the U.S. Code, section 166(f)(3)(B). The vehicle must display a Florida Division of Motor Vehicles issued decal, which is renewed annually. Special fees may apply. Vehicles with decals may also use any HOV lane designated as a HOV toll lane without paying the toll. An HEV is defined as a motor vehicle that draws propulsion energy from onboard sources of stored energy comprised of both an internal combustion engine using combustible fuel and a rechargeable energy storage system and meets or exceeds the qualifying California standards for a Low Emission Vehicle. In addition, three-wheeled vehicles are considered ILEVs for the purposes of HOV lane exemption. (Reference Florida Statutes 316.0741)

Utility/Private Incentives

Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) Incentive - Coulomb Technologies

Coulomb Technologies' ChargePoint America program offers EVSE at no cost to individuals or entities in the Orlando metropolitan area. To be eligible for free home charging stations, individuals living within the specified area must purchase a qualified plug-in electric vehicle. Application information is available on the ChargePoint America website. In most cases, installation will be paid for by the EVSE owner; some cities, states, and utilities, however, will provide funding towards installation costs. All participants in the ChargePoint America program must agree to anonymous data collection after installation. Additional restrictions may apply.

Laws and Regulations

Alternative Fuel Economic Development

To stimulate local economic development, landowners may apply to amend the local government comprehensive plan to expand existing uses of rural agricultural industrial centers to include facilities that prepare biomass materials that can be used for the production of fuel, renewable energy, bioenergy, or alternative fuel. In addition, permit applications and local comprehensive plan amendments submitted for projects resulting in the production of biofuels or construction of a biofuel processing facility may be expedited. (Reference Florida Statutes 163.3177 and 403.973)

Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) Standards

The Florida LEV Program will require that all new passenger vehicles sold and registered meet California emissions and compliance requirements, as set forth in Title 13 of the California Code of Regulations, two years after the Florida Legislature ratifies the Florida Clean Car Emission Rule. (Reference Florida Administrative Code 62-285.400)

Ethanol Blend Mandate

All gasoline sold or offered for sale by a terminal supplier, importer, blender, or wholesaler in Florida must contain 9-10% ethanol by volume. Ethanol fuel may be derived from any agricultural source. The fuel mandate does not apply to fuel used in aircrafts or watercrafts, fuel sold to a blender, or fuel sold for use in collector vehicles, off-road vehicles, motorcycles, or small engines. If a terminal supplier, importer, blender, or wholesaler is unable to obtain ethanol fuel at the same or lower price as unblended gasoline, then the covered entity may apply for a waiver. (Reference Florida Statutes 526.201-526.207)

Fuel-Efficient Vehicle Acquisition and Alternative Fuel Use Requirements

When procuring new vehicles under a state purchasing plan, all Florida state agency, state university, community college, and local government fleets must select the vehicles with the greatest fuel efficiency available for a given use class. Exceptions may be made for emergency responder vehicles if these entities provide documentation. In addition, all state agencies must use ethanol and biodiesel blended fuels when available. State agencies administering central fueling operations for state-owned vehicles must purchase ethanol and biodiesel fuels to use in their vehicle fleet as much as possible. (Reference Florida Statutes 286.29)

Biofuels Promotion

The Florida Department of Management Services (DMS), in coordination with the Florida Department of Transportation (DOT), must conduct an analysis of fuel additives and biofuels the DOT uses through its central fueling facilities. The DMS must also encourage other state government entities to analyze transportation fuel usage, including the types and percentages of fuels consumed, and report this information to the DMS. (Reference Florida Statutes 287.16)

Provision for Renewable Fuels Investment

To create jobs and improve the state's general infrastructure, the Florida State Board of Administration may invest up to 1.5% of the net assets of the system trust fund in technology and growth investments of businesses operating in Florida, including businesses related to biofuels, renewable energy, and other related applications. (Reference Florida Statutes 215.47)

Idle Reduction Requirement

Operators may not idle heavy-duty diesel vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating equal to, or greater than, of 8,500 pounds for more than five consecutive minutes. Exemptions apply in the following circumstances: uncontrollable traffic conditions; emergency or law enforcement purposes; verification that a vehicle is safe to operate; power work-related operations; bus passenger comfort; and prevention of safety or health emergencies. Until September 30, 2013, exemptions also apply for sleeping or resting in a sleeper berth. (Reference Florida Administrative Code 62-285.420)

Low-Speed Vehicle Access to Roadways

A low-speed vehicle, including a neighborhood electric vehicle, is defined as any four-wheeled electric vehicle capable of achieving a top speed between 20 and 25 miles per hour. Low-speed vehicle operators must comply with the safety standards in Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, sections 571.500 and 316.2122 and license the vehicle as required under state guidelines. Seasonal delivery personnel may only use low-speed vehicles during certain yearly timeframes. (Reference Florida Statutes 316.2126, 320.01, and 320.0847)

Alternative Fuels Tax

A person operating an alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) must purchase an annual decal from the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles to be exempt from the excise tax on gasoline. Fueling stations may not fuel a vehicle with propane or compressed natural gas that does not display the proper decal. State and local government AFV fleets are exempt from paying the decal fee. In addition to the state alternative fuel fee, a person fueling a vehicle from their own facility must pay a local alternative fuel fee instead of the excise tax a county levies. (Reference Florida Statutes 206.877)

Alternative Fuel License

An individual who wishes to be a wholesale distributor of an alternative fuel must first obtain a license from the Florida Department of Revenue. (Reference Florida Statutes 206.89)

Electric Vehicle (EV) Insurance Regulation

Insurance companies may not impose surcharges on EVs based on factors such as new technology, passenger payload, weight-to-horsepower ratio, and the types of material used to manufacture the vehicle, unless the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation receives actuarial data that determines the surcharges are justified. (Reference Florida Statutes 627.06535)

Ethanol Production Credit

County governments are eligible to receive waste reduction credits for using yard clippings, clean wood waste, or paper waste as feedstock for the production of clean-burning fuels such as ethanol. (Reference Florida Statutes 403.706)