U.S. Department of Energy | Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Recent Federal Actions

This list includes recent federal actions, such as Federal Register notices and rulemaking actions, agency directives or agency communications, that are all publicly available. These actions relate to alternative fuels and vehicles, fuel blends, hybrid vehicles, and idle reduction and fuel economy measures. When rulemakings are finalized, they will move to the list of Federal Laws and Incentives.

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Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit Guidance Jan 14, 2025

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) published guidance for the Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit (45W credit) created by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-58) in January 2025. The notice provides guidance on calculating the 45W credit amount and clarifies requirements for qualifying vehicles and eligibility.

For more information, see the U.S. Department of the Treasury press release and the IRS Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit website.

Clean Fuel Production Credit Updated Guidance Jan 10, 2025

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) published initial guidance for the Clean Fuel Production Credit (45Z credit) created by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-58) in January 2025. The notice provides guidance on the annual emissions rates requirements to claim the Clean Fuel Production Credit.

For more information, see the U.S. Department of the Treasury press release and the IRS Clean Fuel Production Credit website.

Final Rule for Clean Hydrogen Production Credit Jan 10, 2025

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) published a final rule for the Clean Hydrogen Production Credit (45V credit) created by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-58) in January 2025. The final rule clarifies eligibility requirements for hydrogen producers to claim the credit and provides pathways for hydrogen produced by using both electricity and methane.

For more information, see the U.S. Department of the Treasury press release and IRS Clean Hydrogen Production Credit website.

U.S. EPA Issues California Vehicle Emissions Regulation Waivers Dec 18, 2024

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted requests from California Air Resources Board for waivers to implement and enforce the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACCII) regulations for light-duty vehicles and the “Omnibus” low-NOx regulation for heavy-duty highway and off-road vehicles. Beginning with model year 2026, ACCII establishes updated emissions standards for on-road light- and medium-duty vehicles and includes revisions to both California’s Low Emission Vehicle and Zero Emission Vehicle regulations.

For more information, see the EPA news release and Vehicle Emissions California Waivers and Authorizations website.

Updated National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program Build Out Guidance Dec 11, 2024

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) published a memorandum containing updates to the NEVI Program guidance on December 11, 2024. The updated guidance provides information regarding fully built out criteria and flexibility after build out certification.

For more information, see the FHWA NEVI website.

Updated National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Q&A Dec 11, 2024

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) updated the Q&A website in December 2024. The updated frequently asked questions relate to general questions, medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicle charging, J3400 connectors and adaptors, EVC-RAA, and fully built-out certification. For more information, see the FHWA NEVI website.

Updated Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Tax Credit Guidance Oct 18, 2024

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) published guidance for the SAF tax credit created by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-169). The guidance instructs taxpayers using Argonne National Laboratory’s Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies (R&D GREET) model to use the October 2024 version of the 40BSAF-GREET 2024 model and accompanying user manual. For more information, see the IRS news release.

Updated National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Q&A Sep 4, 2024

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) updated the Q&A website in September 2024. The updated frequently asked questions relate to general questions, technical requirements, eligible expenditures, right-of-way EV chargers, contract administration and procurement, and fully built-out certification. For more information, see the FHWA NEVI website.

Proposed ADA Guidelines for Electric Vehicle (EV) Chargers Sep 3, 2024

The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) has issued proposed rulemaking to amend the accessibility guidelines for buildings and facilities covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to address the accessibility of EV charging stations. The proposed rulemaking provides guidance on applicability of the proposed guidelines, scoping requirements, technical requirements, and “use last” alternatives for EV chargers.

The proposed rulemaking builds off the Access Board Design Recommendations for Accessible EV chargers technical assistance document. For more information, see the Access Board press release.

U.S. EPA Extends Emergency Fuel Waiver for E15 Sales Aug 27, 2024

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an emergency fuel waiver to allow gasoline containing up to 15% ethanol (E15) to be sold during the summer season. This is an extension of the previous waiver issued on August 7, 2024. On August 27, 2024, EPA extended the E15 waiver to exceed the Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) requirements for gasoline that are detailed in the Clean Air Act Section 211(h)(1) by 1 pound per square inch (psi) from August 30 through September 15, 2024. The waiver only extends to areas within the contiguous United States where the 1-psi waiver currently applies to gasoline containing up to 10% ethanol (E10). For more information, see the EPA 2024 Nationwide Fuel Waivers website.

U.S. EPA Extends Emergency Fuel Waiver for E15 Sales Aug 7, 2024

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an emergency fuel waiver to allow gasoline containing up to 15% ethanol (E15) to be sold during the summer season. This is an extension of the previous waiver issued on July 18, 2024. On August 7, 2024, EPA extended the E15 waiver to exceed the Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) requirements for gasoline that are detailed in the Clean Air Act Section 211(h)(1) by 1 pound per square inch (psi) from August 9 through August 29, 2024. The waiver only extends to areas within the contiguous United States where the 1-psi waiver currently applies to gasoline containing up to 10% ethanol (E10). For more information, see the EPA 2024 Nationwide Fuel Waivers website.

Critical Mineral and Battery Component Requirement Guidance for the Clean Vehicle Credit Jul 26, 2024

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) updated the frequently asked questions Fact Sheet for Clean Vehicle Credits in July 2024. The new guidance is related to the critical mineral and battery component requirements of the New, Previously Owned, and Qualified Commercial Clean Vehicle Credits.

This action is the result of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-169), which amended the Qualified Plug-in Electric Drive Motor Vehicle Credit (IRC 30D), now known as the Clean Vehicle Credit. For more information, see the IRS Clean Vehicle Tax Credits website.

New and Previously Owned Clean Vehicle Credit Updated Guidance Jul 26, 2024

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) updated the frequently asked questions Fact Sheet for the New and Previously Owned Vehicle Credits (30D credit) created by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-58) in July 2024. The notice provides guidance on the registration requirements to claim the New and Previously Owned Vehicle Credits.

For more information, see the IRS press release.

U.S. EPA Extends Emergency Fuel Waiver for E15 Sales Jul 18, 2024

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an emergency fuel waiver to allow gasoline containing up to 15% ethanol (E15) to be sold during the summer season. This is an extension of the previous waiver issued on June 26, 2024. On July 18, 2024, EPA extended the E15 waiver to exceed the Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) requirements for gasoline that are detailed in the Clean Air Act Section 211(h)(1) by 1 pound per square inch (psi) from July 20 through August 8, 2024. The waiver only extends to areas within the contiguous United States where the 1-psi waiver currently applies to gasoline containing up to 10% ethanol (E10). For more information, see the EPA 2024 Nationwide Fuel Waivers website.