Local Laws and Incentives

Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) Grant Funding - North Central TX

The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) administers several funding programs that address air pollution from the transportation sector through incentives and technical assistance for cleaner vehicles and technologies across vehicle weight classes.

Current programs include the Emissions Reduction Incentive Grants Program, which provides funding to upgrade or replace heavy-duty vehicles. New vehicles must emit at least 25% fewer emissions than that required under the current standard.

For information about current funding opportunities, see the NCTCOG Air Quality Funding website or contact Rachel Linnewiel (817-608-2329) at NCTCOG.

Expedited Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) Permitting - Los Angeles, CA

The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) offers instant, online residential EVSE permitting approval. Expedited EVSE inspection and meter installation occurs within 24 hours of notification of the EVSE installation. Residents may use the EVSE immediately after inspection. For more information, see the LADBS Express Permit website.

Heavy-Duty Truck and Alternative Fueling Station Incentives - Chicago, IL

The Chicago Department of Transportation's (CDOT) Drive Clean Chicago program provides vouchers and grants to fund the purchase and conversion of qualified fleet vehicles and fueling infrastructure. Vehicles must operate in the Chicago six-county area at least 75% of the time and fueling stations must be proposed in the six-county area. Vouchers of 80% of the incremental or conversion costs, up to $30,000, are available for qualified all-electric and hybrid Class 2 to Class 8 vehicle purchases. Vouchers are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Rebates are also available for up to 30% of the capital cost to develop compressed natural gas fueling stations and DC fast charge electric vehicle supply equipment. Terms and conditions apply. For more information see the Drive Clean Chicago website.

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. HEV and AFV 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 subject to all time and other posted parking restrictions. For more information, see the City of New Haven's Transportation, Traffic & Parking website.

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 conventional gasoline and 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.

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 dedicated CNG vehicles. For more information, see the Smithtown Case Study.

Fleet Clean Vehicle Programs and Requirements - San Francisco, CA

The City of San Francisco (City) enforces several provisions and programs to reduce petroleum consumption and transportation emissions. Each city official with jurisdiction over passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 4% by the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 and by at least 15% by the end of FY 2021. Reductions are based on baseline emissions set in FY 2014. City officials must also remove all vehicles aged 12 years and older from the fleet. In addition, all city fleet vehicle purchases must comply with the San Francisco Transit-First Policy and be an approved vehicle under the San Francisco Green Vehicle Purchase Criteria. Exceptions apply.

In addition, the San Francisco Department of the Environment, in consultation with other departments, must:

• Facilitate and seek funds for the development of alternative fueling facilities, including electric vehicle supply equipment;
• Participate in pilot and demonstration projects for clean vehicles and related technologies;
• Coordinate grant applications to support clean vehicle and alternative fuel programs;
• Implement programs to encourage residents and private fleet operators to purchase and operate clean vehicles and use alternative fuels; and
• Assist the San Francisco Unified School District with developing bid specifications and identifying grants for energy efficient, alternative fuel, or best emissions control technology school buses.

For more information, see the City and County of San Francisco Environmental Code, Sections 400-410.

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:

• Measure 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.

Plug-In Electric Vehicle (PEV) Charging Infrastructure Promotion - Bay Area, CA

Mayors of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland are following a policy plan to develop and expand the infrastructure needed to promote the use of PEVs. 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 PEV infrastructure across the region; and establishing programs to purchase PEVs for use by city and state employees. The mayors are working with other cities in the Bay Area as well as regional government organizations and private sector partners through the Bay Area EV Corridor Project and the Association of Bay Area Governments.

Plug-in Electric Vehicle (PEV) Promotion - Orlando, FL

Orlando government, rental car agencies, hotels, and tourist attractions have partnered to promote PEVs through Drive Electric Orlando. This program provides visitors the opportunity to rent PEVs at a discount and receive a tutorial on how to operate the vehicle as well as where and how to find charging stations in the Orlando area. The goal of Drive Electric Orlando is to encourage broader adoption of PEVs by providing visitors with an extended test drive during their stay through a rental promotion. For more information, see the Drive Electric Orlando website.

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. Failure to comply may result in fines. 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. Any vehicle that uses electricity or compressed natural gas as its 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

The city and county of Denver prohibit the idling of any vehicle for more than five minutes in any one-hour period. Failure to comply may result in fines. This prohibition does not apply when ambient outside air temperatures have been less than 20 degrees Fahrenheit for the previous 24 hours or when the current ambient outside air temperature is less than 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Emergency vehicles, vehicles engaged in traffic operations, vehicles being serviced, vehicles that must idle to operate auxiliary equipment, and vehicles that are idling due to traffic congestion are also exempt. For more information, see the Denver Revised Municipal Code, Title II, Section 4-43.

Idle Reduction Requirement - Philadelphia, PA

The City of Philadelphia prohibits the idling of any heavy-duty diesel motor vehicle for more than two minutes. Failure to comply may result in fines. Exceptions apply when the ambient temperature is 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below or when the ambient temperature is equal to or greater than 75 degrees Fahrenheit and the heavy-duty vehicle is a bus equipped with air conditioning and non-operable windows. 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). Exemptions apply to fuel vendors that sell premium gasoline with an octane rating of 91 or higher with no ethanol additive. All diesel fuel sold must contain a minimum of 5% biodiesel (B5) and meet ASTM D6751 standards. Fuel vendors must place signage on each pump denoting the percentage of biofuel in each fuel available for sale. A retailer who offers a biodiesel blend of 20% (B20) or greater is exempt from the B5 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.

Plug-In Electric Vehicle (PEV) Parking Space Designation - Philadelphia, PA

The Philadelphia Parking Authority (Authority) may grant, establish, and administer PEV-specific parking spaces. Individuals who own a PEV but do not have access to dedicated off-street parking may apply for a reserved on-street parking space with electric vehicle supply equipment. Installation costs and annual fees apply. For more information, see the Philadelphia Administrative Code, Section 12-1131, and the Authority's PEV Parking Space application.

Plug-In Electric Vehicle (PEV) Parking Space Requirements - Kansas City, MO

The City of Kansas City requires that PEV parking spaces be reserved for parking and charging PEVs only. PEV parking spaces may not impede pedestrian, bicycle, or wheelchair movement or create safety hazards, and must have signage identifying any applicable use, fee, or safety information and indicating that the space is reserved for charging purposes only. PEV parking spaces in off-street parking facilities may be counted toward the off-street parking space requirements outlined in City of Kansas City Zoning & Development Code, Section 88-420-04. For more information, see the Zoning & Development Code, Section 88-305-10 or contact the Kansas City Planning & Development Department (816-513-1468).

Plug-In Electric Vehicle (PEV) Ready Building Requirements - Los Angeles, CA

Newly constructed buildings in Los Angeles must provide the necessary hardware for PEV charging. One- and two-family dwellings and townhouses must be equipped with at least one PEV charging outlet, which is a 208/240 volt, 40 ampere, grounded alternating current outlet, or panel capacity and conduit for such outlet installation for each dwelling unit. Other residential buildings that have a common parking area must be equipped with PEV charging outlets in at least 5% of the total parking spaces or panel capacity and conduit for these upgrades in the future. The parking area of new high-rise residential and non-residential buildings must include PEV charging outlets in at least 5% of the total parking spaces. For more information, see the 2014 Los Angeles Amendment Green Building Code, Section 99.04.106.4.

Plug-In Electric Vehicle (PEV) Ready Parking Facility Requirements - New York City, NY

The New York City Department of City Planning requires that all newly constructed and upgraded parking garages and open lots include the necessary hardware for electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) in at least 20% of each facility's parking spaces. For more information, see the New York City General Administrative Provisions for Construction Codes, Section 28-101.4.3, as well as the New York City Building Code, Sections 406.2.11 and 406.7.11.