Electricity Laws and Incentives in Nebraska

The list below contains summaries of all Nebraska laws and incentives related to electricity.

Laws and Regulations

Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) Registration Fee

In addition to standard registration fees, AFV owners must pay a registration fee of $150 and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle owners must pay an annual fee of $75. An AFV is defined as a vehicle that operates on electricity, solar power, or any other source of energy not otherwise taxed under the state motor fuel tax laws. Compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, and propane are not subject to this requirement.

(Reference Legislative Bill 1317, 2024 and Nebraska Revised Statutes 60-306 and 60-3,191)

Direct Current (DC) Fast Charger Requirements

A utility may only develop, own, maintain, or operate a DC fast charger if:

• The DC fast charger is located at least 15 miles from a privately owned DC fast charger that already exists or is under construction;

• The DC fast charger is located at least one mile from an Alternative Fuel Corridor designated by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration;

• Before beginning construction of a DC fast charger, the utility conducts a right of first refusal process; and,

• The utility provides EV charging under rates, tolls, rents, and charges that are fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory, and available to all DC fast charger operators in the utility’s service territory.

Beginning January 1, 2028, a utility may only develop, own, maintain, or operate a DC fast charger if:

• The DC fast charger is located at least 10 miles from a privately owned DC fast charger that is already in commercial operation or has a pending building permit and interconnection request to the electric supplier; and,

• The utility provides EV charging under rates, tolls, rents, and charges that are fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory, and available to all DC fast charger operators in the utility’s service territory.

(Reference Legislative Bill 1317, 2024)

Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger Certificate

Entities that receive state funding for the installation or purchase of commercial EV chargers must provide certification verifying that all component parts of the EV charger are not to be produced, manufactured, or assembled by a restricted entity. A restricted entity is defined as any person or entity identified on the sanction’s lists maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Department of the Treasury.

(Reference Legislative Bill 1317, 2024)

Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger Certification

EV chargers that are funded or authorized by a Nebraska state agency or by the federal government must be installed by a contractor that holds an EV Infrastructure Training Program certification. 

(Reference Legislative Bill 1317, 2024)

Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Tax

Beginning January 1, 2028, the retail sale of electricity for EV charging is subject to an excise tax of $0.03 per kilowatt hour.

(Reference Legislative Bill 1317, 2024)

Public Utility Definition

A person, partnership, or corporation, who operates an electric vehicle (EV) charger is not defined as a public utility. Commercial EV charger operators are subject to the interconnection requirements, electric rates, and service regulations of the utility in the utility’s service area where the EV charger is located. Beginning January 1, 2028, an excise tax of $0.03 per kilowatt-hour applies to electricity sold by commercial EV chargers.

(Reference Legislative Bill 1317, 2024)

State Incentives

Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) and Fueling Infrastructure Loans

The Nebraska Energy Office administers the Dollar and Energy Saving Loan Program, which makes low-cost loans available for a variety of alternative fuel projects, including the replacement of conventional vehicles with AFVs; the purchase of new AFVs; the conversion of conventional vehicles to operate on alternative fuels; and the construction or purchase of fueling stations or equipment. The maximum loan amount is $500,000 per borrower, and the interest rate is 5% or less. For more information, see the Dollar and Energy Saving Loans website.

Nebraska's National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Planning

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) NEVI Formula Program requires the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) to submit an annual electric vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Deployment Plan (Plan) to the DOT and U.S. Department of Energy Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office), describing how the state intends to distribute NEVI funds. The submitted plans must be established according to NEVI guidance.

For more information about Nebraska’s NEVI planning process, see the NDOT NEVI website. To review Nebraska’s NEVI plan, see the Joint Office State Plans for EV Charging website.

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