About the Laws and Incentives Data

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) maintains a database of state and federal laws and incentives related to alternative fuels and vehicles, air quality, vehicle efficiency, and other transportation-related topics. State-level information is updated annually after each state's legislative session ends; necessary updates may be made independent of the legislative session schedule. Information for these updates is obtained from state legislative websites when the sites are deemed accurate and timely or by calling specific state offices directly. In addition, NREL maintains a resource list of the most useful websites and contacts for every state, as well as a list of search terms states routinely used in website searches. Tangible and unique financial incentives that utilities and private organizations offer are also included in the database. Please note that there are many other incentives that utilities and private organizations offer, including training, consulting, feasibility studies, and technical assistance among others, and not all of these are included in this database due to the significant number of entities now offering these services to existing and potential customers.

Relevant federal information is added to or updated in the database after legislation is signed into law or when agencies issue final rules. Existing information is reviewed at the same time new information is added to ensure it is still accurate and in effect.

The database also includes expired, repealed, and archived laws and incentives. If a description is archived, that does not necessarily mean it has expired, as there are different circumstances behind each of the categories. A state grant program archived in the database, for example, may still be "on the books" but has been archived because the relevant state has not appropriated program funding for several years.

Caution: The Alternative Fuels Data Center recommends that users verify with the appropriate state or federal authority that the specific law or incentive is still applicable before making a purchase or tax-related decision.