The Ohio House of Representatives has unanimously passed H.B.336 – a piece of legislation that would create tax credits and grants aimed specifically at alternative fuel vehicles.
Central to the bill, which was sponsored by Reps. Sean O'Brien and Dave Hall, is a new Gaseous Fuels Conversion Program. This initiative would offer a tax credit for the purchase or conversion of natural gas vehicles and/or propane vehicles amounting to 50% of the cost of conversion or purchase price of the vehicle, or up to $25,000 (depending on the weight of the vehicle). The bill also contains a $500 tax credit for the purchase of an electric vehicle.
All of these tax credits would expire after five years.
The program would also award grants to state agencies, political subdivisions, school districts, public transportation systems and non-profit corporations to convert vehicles, at a maximum grant award of $500,000 per entity.
‘This bill would create jobs and save costs by enabling many more Ohio businesses, governments and individuals to use natural gas, propane and electric vehicles rather than more costly imported oil,’ says Sam Spofforth, executive director of Clean Fuels Ohio, which helps drive clean-transportation policy in the state.
H.B.336 was passed by an 89-0 vote. The legislation has been referred to the State Senate for hearings.
