Tiger Teams Help Submit Bill to Raise Money for AFVs, Infrastructure
With the help of Tiger Teams consultant firm Edwards and Kelcey, North Carolina Representative Joe Tolson sponsored a state house bill that would provide rebates to purchasers of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and grants for the construction of related fueling infrastructure.
Presented in 2001, North Carolina House Bill (HB) 1213 proposed a 10-year program that would be funded by a slight increase in the state's vehicle registration fee.
If passed, HB 1213—formally called the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Rebate and Infrastructure Grant Program—would authorize a $1 increase in vehicle registration fees during the program's first three years, and another $1 increase during its last seven years. The bill projects earnings of $7 million to $17 million annually or roughly $117 million over the life of the program. The rebates and grants would be given to eligible individuals, businesses, and city and county government agencies.
Other perks of HB1213 include:
- Economic development benefits of $300 million to $500 million.
- A 450-800 ton reduction in volatile organic compounds and 400-650 ton reduction of nitrogen oxides.
- A 50 million to 100 million gallon reduction in petroleum usage.
Although the bill was tabled after passing through the House Finance Committee in 2001 the Triangle Coalition—which serves the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill area—and other clean air and rural economic interests around the state, plan to assist Tolson in building support for the bill when he reintroduces it during the 2003 General Session.
Other Clean Cities Coalitions are following North Carolina's lead. The Kansas City and St. Louis regional coalitions plan to present a similar bill to the Missouri state legislature in 2003.
For more information, read House Bill 1213: Rebate and Grant Program for AFVs (PDF 363 KB). Download Adobe Reader.