Ethanol Laws and Incentives in Virginia

The list below contains summaries of all Virginia laws and incentives related to ethanol.

State Incentives

Agriculture and Forestry Biofuel Production Grants

The Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund provides grants to promote and develop the agriculture and forestry industry in Virginia and create or expand value-added facilities, including qualified biofuel production facilities. Individual grants may not exceed $500,000. Eligible applicants include local governments and other Virginia political subdivisions working with qualified businesses. Additional terms and conditions apply. For more information, see the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services website.

(Reference Virginia Code 3.2-304)

Alternative Fuel Tax Exemption

Alternative fuel is exempt from taxes if it is sold to a government entity for its exclusive use, a non-profit charitable organization for the purpose of providing charitable services for low-income medical patients, or produced by an agricultural operation and used exclusively for farm use or vehicles of that producer.

(Reference Virginia Code 58.1-2250)

Biofuel Feedstock Registration Exemption

Individuals that transport waste kitchen grease for conversion to biofuel are exempt from both the Virginia Department of Health registration and the associated annual application fee. This exemption applies to individuals transporting the waste kitchen grease for their own consumption in a container with a capacity of no more than 275 gallons, and to kitchen grease transportation to a biofuel production facility. Eligible facilities may not have a production capacity over 500 gallons per day of biofuel nor possess or control more than 1,320 gallons of kitchen grease, biofuel feedstock derived from kitchen grease, or biofuel at any one time. Other restrictions and requirements apply. For more information, see the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Transporters of Waste Kitchen Grease website.

(Reference Virginia Code 3.2-5508 through 3.2-5516)

Government Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) Incentive

The Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Transportation, offers up to $10,000 to state agencies and local governments for the incremental cost of new or converted AFVs. To be eligible, vehicles must comply with Buy America provisions or qualify for a waiver from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, and must be garaged in areas of air quality nonattainment, as recognized by the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) program. For more information, see the Virginia CMAQ Incentive Program website.

Green Jobs Tax Credit

Qualified employers are eligible for a $500 tax credit for each new green job created that offers a salary of at least $50,000, for up to 350 jobs per employer. The credit is allowed for the first five years that the job is continuously filled. For the purposes of this tax credit, a green job is defined as employment in industries relating to renewable or alternative energy, including hydrogen and fuel cell technology, landfill gas, and biofuels. For more information, see the Virginia Department of Taxation Environmental Credits website.

(Reference Virginia Code 58.1-439.12:05)

Laws and Regulations

Alternative Fuel Provider License

Alternative fuel providers, bulk users, and retailers, or any person who fuels an alternative fuel vehicle from a private source that does not pay the alternative fuels tax must obtain an alternative fuel license from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). For more information, see the DMV Fuels Tax Licensing website.

(Reference Virginia Code 58.1-2244)

Alternative Fuel School Bus and Fueling Infrastructure Loans

The Virginia Board of Education may use funding from the Literary Fund to provide loans to school boards that convert school buses to operate on alternative fuels or construct alternative fueling stations.

(Reference Virginia Code 22.1-146)

Alternative Fuel Tax

Alternative fuels used to operate on-road vehicles are taxed at a rate of $0.262 per gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE). Alternative fuels are taxed at the same rate as gasoline and gasohol (5.1% of the statewide average wholesale price of a gallon of self-serve unleaded regular gasoline). Refer to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles Fuels Tax Rates and Alternative Fuels Conversion website for fuel-specific GGE calculations.

(Reference Virginia Code 58.1-2217 and 58.1-2249)

Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) Grant Authorization

Local governments are authorized to establish a green bank to promote investment in clean energy technologies, including AFVs and related infrastructure.

(Reference Virginia Code 15.2-958.3:1)

Ethanol Production Equipment Tax Exemption Authorization

A county, city, or town may exempt, partially exempt, or set a lower tax rate for qualified equipment used by farmers or farm cooperatives to produce ethanol, provided that the ethanol feedstock consists primarily of farm products.

(Reference Virginia Code 58.1-3505)

State Energy Plan

Virginia Energy is responsible for creating the Virginia Energy Plan (Plan) to assess the commonwealth’s primary energy sources and recommends actions to meet state energy goals. The Plan must include policies to promote alternative fuel use, transportation electrification, efficient driving techniques, and reducing vehicle miles traveled. The Plan must assess statewide electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and consider the impact of statewide policies, EV market projections, and statewide EV registration data to support the state’s 2045 net-zero carbon target in the transportation sector. Virginia Energy must submit the Plan to the governor, the State Corporation Commission, and the General Assembly by October 1 of each year following the election of a new governor. For more information, see the 2018 Virginia Energy Plan, 2022 Virginia Energy Plan, and the Virginia Energy Energy Efficiency website.

(Reference Virginia Code 67-203)

More Laws and Incentives

To find laws and incentives for other alternative fuels and advanced vehicles, search all laws and incentives.