Image: Moving America Forward / United for Infrastructure
Last week, House leadership unveiled H.R. 2, the Moving America Forward Act. This legislation proposes over $1.5 trillion in what members hope will be a “transformational investment in American infrastructure.” The House passed the bill Jul 1st, and probably won’t be acted on by the US Senate until after the election in November.
H.R. 2 includes a massive investment in funding and incentives to facilitate the purchase of clean fuels and vehicles and the development of alternative fueling infrastructure. Highlights of the bill include:
- Authorizes $50 million for the DOE Clean Cities Program for fiscal year 2021 and increases the authorization each year, reaching $100 million in fiscal year 2025.
- Extends the tax incentives for biodiesel and for natural gas and propane with a phase-down, through 2025.
- Extends the tax credit for alternative fueling infrastructure through 2025 and expands the credit for electric charging infrastructure by allowing a 20% credit for expenses in excess of $100,000.
- Increases the production cap for the Electric Vehicle tax credit to 600,000 per manufacturer and allows purchasers to receive a credit of $7,000.
- Provides a new tax credit for the purchase of zero emission heavy duty vehicles and zero emission buses.
- Provides $350 million a year in competitive grants for alternative fueling infrastructure established on corridors designated by the FHWA.
- Establishes Community Climate Innovation grants of $250 million per year for local investments in innovative strategies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Provides $1.7 billion for Zero-emission bus grants.
- Creates a $500 million a year Zero Emissions Ports Infrastructure Program.
- Authorizes $3.5 billion a year for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants, which can be used by cities and counties to implement strategies to advance alternative fuels, vehicles, and infrastructure.
- Reauthorizes DERA, the diesel emissions reduction program, at $500 million a year.
- Reauthorizes the Clean School Bus Program at $65 million a year.
- Establishes a pilot program for the electrification of certain refrigerated vehicles.
- Requires the Postal Service to replace at least 75 percent of its fleet with electric or zero emission vehicles and authorizes at least $6 billion for the purchase of new vehicles.
You can also read about other aspects of the bill in this MotorTrend article.