Local Incentives and Laws

Alternative Fuel and Advanced Vehicle Funding - New York, NY

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) administers the New York City Private Fleet Alternative Fuel/Electric Vehicle Program (Program) in cooperation with New York City Department of Transportation. This program helps private companies and non-profit organizations operating vehicles in New York City acquire alternative fuel and advanced vehicles. NYSERDA awards Program funds on a competitive basis for up to 50% of the incremental cost of purchasing new light-duty natural gas vehicles (NGVs) or electric vehicles (EVs) and up to 80% of the incremental cost for purchasing new or converting medium- and heavy-duty NGVs (dedicated and bi-fuel), EVs, or hybrid electric vehicles. In addition, up to 50% of the costs for alternative fueling or EV charging station equipment and installation may be eligible. For more information, see the NYSERDA Transportation Projects website.

Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) Grants - Houston - Galveston, TX

The Houston-Galveston Area Council provides Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program grants through the Greater Houston Clean Cities Coalition for 33% of the cost of a new original equipment manufacturer clean fuel vehicle, 75% of the cost of a clean fuel vehicle conversion/repower, or 50% of eligible equipment and installation costs to establish publicly-accessible alternative fueling infrastructure. This grant is for public and private entities in the eight-county Houston-Galveston nonattainment area. For more information, contact Kelli Angelone (713-993-2444) at the Greater Houston Clean Cities Coalition.

Clean Taxi Replacement Grants - Dallas-Fort Worth, TX

The North Central Texas Council of Governments has partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the City of Dallas to develop the North Texas Green & Go Clean Taxi Partnership as part of the Dallas Sustainable Skylines Initiative. This program facilitates the replacement of existing taxis with low emission vehicles through a grant program to offset incremental costs and implement other non-financial incentives for the purchase of cleaner vehicles. For more information, see the North Texas Green & Go Clean Taxi Partnership website or contact Jenny Danieau (817-608-2342) at North Texas Council of Governments.

Vehicle Purchase Incentives - Riverside, CA

City of Riverside residents and employees are eligible to receive a rebate toward the purchase of qualified natural gas or hybrid electric vehicles purchased from a City of Riverside automobile dealership. The rebate is worth up to $2,000 for a new qualified vehicle or $1,000 for a qualified used vehicle. For more information about the resident rebate program, visit the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Rebate Program website. For more information on the employee rebate program, contact Kevin Street (951-826-5283) at the City of Riverside Public Works Administration.

Incentive for Airport Alternative Fuels Use - Salt Lake City, UT

The Salt Lake City Department of Airports provides incentives to commercial ground transportation providers who purchase and operate clean fuel vehicles that exclusively operate on approved clean fuels. Eligible vehicles are those that operate on compressed natural gas, propane, hydrogen, or electricity, or hybrid electric vehicles. The incentives are in the form of a credit against ground transportation fees in the amount of $2,500 for each original equipment manufacturer vehicle or certified vehicle converted to operate on an alternative fuel. For more information, contact Ann-Marie Yoshida (801-531-3525) at Salt Lake City Department of Airports.

Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) and Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) Parking - New Haven, CT

The City of New Haven provides free parking on all city streets for HEVs and AFVs registered in New Haven that have a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency city or highway fuel economy rating of at least 35 miles per gallon. HEV and AFV vehicle owners must obtain a non-transferable pass from the Department of Traffic and Parking to place on the vehicle's dashboard or hang from the rearview mirror. AFVs and HEVs are otherwise subject to all time and other posted parking restrictions. For more information, see the City of New Haven Transportation, Traffic & Parking website.

Clean School Bus Program - North Central TX

The North Central Texas Council of Governments administers the North Central Texas Clean School Bus Program, which is a fuel- and technology-neutral program. The Clean School Bus Program serves as a clearinghouse for information on technology, legislation, best practices for school bus operators, and clean school bus funding opportunities. The Clean School Bus Program aims to reduce emissions from school bus fleets by encouraging and assisting in the expedited purchase of clean school buses as well as the adoption and enforcement of idle reduction policies. In addition, the Clean School Bus Program seeks to gather community resources to assist schools, school districts, and school bus operators in improving air quality and protecting the health of school-aged children. For more information, see the North Central Texas Clean School Bus Program website or contact Amanda Brimmer (817-608-2353) at North Central Texas Council of Governments.

Alternative Fuel Taxicab Regulation - Chicago, IL

Chicago taxi companies with 50 or more vehicles in their fleet must operate at least one alternative fuel taxi. Alternative fuel taxis include vehicles designed to operate on compressed natural gas, biodiesel (20% blend or higher), propane, hydrogen, or electricity. No more than 2% of the taxi fleet's licensed taxicabs are subject to this requirement. In addition, an alternative fuel vehicle can be licensed as a taxi for an additional year beyond the age limit of a conventional vehicle. For more information, see the City of Chicago Rules and Regulations for Taxicab Medallion License Holders Rule 5.01.

Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) Acquisition Requirements - Albuquerque, NM

All motor vehicles purchased by the City of Albuquerque must be dedicated, flexible fuel, or dual-fuel AFVs. Alternative fuels are defined as fuels other than gasoline and 100% petroleum diesel and may include ethanol, biodiesel, natural gas, electricity, propane, or other alternative fuels approved by the city's Chief Administrative Officer. For more information, see the City of Albuquerque Executive Instruction No. 26.

Climate Change Mitigation Initiative - King County, WA

As directed by local Executive Orders and the King County Acting Locally Initiative, King County departments must increase their use of "green" power and biodiesel. At least 50% of King County's total energy use must be generated from renewable energy sources by 2012 for non-transit uses and 2020 for transit uses. Additionally, biodiesel blends used in the county's vehicles must increase from 5% biodiesel (B5) to 20% biodiesel (B20) such that the county uses 2.5 million gallons of biofuels annually. For more information, see the King County Executive Press Release and the 2010 King County Energy Plan.

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Use Requirement - Smithtown, NY

The town of Smithtown requires all contracted residential refuse collection operators to switch from diesel vehicles to vehicles that operate exclusively on CNG. For more information, see the Smithtown Fleet Experiences summary.

Fleet Fuel Use and Vehicle Acquisition Requirements - San Francisco, CA

The City of San Francisco (City) requires that diesel vehicles in the City's municipal fleet operate using biodiesel blends of at least 20% (B20). City departments must also pursue actions to use higher biodiesel blends, up to and including neat biodiesel (B100). Additionally, bi-fuel vehicles owned by the City must not use petroleum-based fuels while operating within the City and County of San Francisco. All vehicles purchased or leased by City departments must meet or exceed specified emissions standards. For more information, see the May 2006 Executive Directive on Biodiesel for Municipal Fleets and the City and County of San Francisco Environmental Code (Sections 406 and 407).

Green Fleet Policy - Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis is implementing a Green Fleet Policy to minimize the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and economic costs associated with current and future fleet vehicles. The overall objectives of the policy include:

• Inventory and report fleet-wide GHG emissions;
• Optimize fleet size through the elimination or reassignment of under-used vehicles;
• Reduce tailpipe emissions through advanced emissions controls;
• Purchase, when necessary, new vehicles that provide the best available net reduction in vehicle fleet emissions, taking life-cycle economic and environmental impacts into consideration; and
• Encourage and educate city staff on eco-driving best practices and promote carpooling across departments.

A Green Fleet Team will oversee the implementation of the Green Fleet Policy and will include representatives from the Fleet Services Division, Environmental Services, Sustainability Initiative, and a selected rotation of departments. The Green Fleet Team will present annual reports of findings and progress to the City of Minneapolis Environmental Coordinating Team and to Results Minneapolis.

Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Infrastructure Promotion - Bay Area, CA

Mayors of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland will follow a policy plan to develop and expand the infrastructure needed to promote the use of EVs. Policy steps include: expediting the permit and installation processes for charging outlets; providing incentives for employers and other organizations who install charging infrastructure at the workplace and other parking facilities; developing standard regulations governing EV infrastructure across the region; and establishing programs to purchase EVs for use by city and state employees. The mayors will work with other cities in the Bay Area as well as regional government organizations and private sector partners.

Idle Reduction Requirement - Atlanta, GA

The City of Atlanta prohibits the idling of a truck or bus for more than 15 minutes on any street or public place. Exceptions include emergency vehicles, utility company, construction, maintenance vehicles that require the engines to run to perform needed work, or vehicles that are forced to remain motionless because of traffic conditions. If the ambient temperature is less than 32 degrees Fahrenheit, idling is limited to a maximum of 25 minutes. In addition, any vehicle that uses electricity or compressed natural gas as the primary fuel source is exempt from idling limitations. For more information, see the Atlanta Code of Ordinances (Section 150-97(c))

Idle Reduction Requirement - Denver, CO

Idling of any vehicle for more than five minutes in any one-hour period is prohibited within the city and county of Denver. Exemptions include the following: when ambient outside air temperatures have been less than 20 degrees Fahrenheit for the previous 24 hours; current ambient outside air temperature are less than 10 degrees Fahrenheit. This requirement does not apply to emergency vehicles, vehicles engaged in traffic operations, vehicles being serviced, vehicles that must idle to operate auxiliary equipment, and vehicles that are idle due to traffic congestion. For more information, see the Denver Environmental Assessment and Policy Idling Vehicles website.

Idle Reduction Requirement - Philadelphia, PA

Idling of any heavy-duty diesel motor vehicle for more than two minutes is prohibited in the City of Philadelphia. For more information, see the City of Philadelphia Air Management Regulation IX.

Renewable Fuels Mandate - Portland, OR

All gasoline sold within the Portland city limits must contain a minimum of 10% ethanol (E10), and diesel fuel must contain a minimum of 5% biodiesel (B5) and meet ASTM D6751 standards. Fuel vendors must place signage denoting the type of biofuels mixture available for sale. A retailer who offers a biodiesel blend of 20% (B20) or greater is exempt from the requirement and is allowed to provide for sale, on the same site or a contiguous site, diesel fuel that does not contain biodiesel. For more information, see the City of Portland Development Services Biofuels Portland website.