McDonnell Signs Alternative Fuel Vehicle Legislation

Two laws with aims of promoting alternative fuel vehicles in the state were passed Tuesday.

One law, House Bill 2105, seeks to make it easier for businesses to open electric car stations. The second piece of legislation, House Bill 2282, calls for state officials to develop a plan to replace traditional state-owned vehicles with ones which operate on alternative fuel sources.

Both bills were signed by Governor Bob McDonnell Tuesday morning in Richmond at the state’s Office of Fleet Management Services, which oversees approximately 4,000 passenger-type vehicles throughout the state.

House Bill 2105 was sponsored by Delegate David Bulova, (D-37), whose district includes portions of Fairfax Station and Fairfax City.

“The bill makes sure that the government doesn’t create a barrier to this new technology,” Bulova said.

The legislation changes the way that electric car stations are classified. Existing Virginia law states that all companies who are selling electricity have to be set up as public utilities. The new law eliminates that requirement and allows businesses sell electricity for car charging.

“You aren’t going to get small businesses to invest in electric car technology if they have to become a public utility,” Bulova said. “The neat thing about this bill is that it’s common sense.”

The second bill, HB 2282, sponsored by Danny Marshall (R-14) states that the Department of General Services along with the secretary of administration and the governor’s senior adviser on energy would investigate how to replace the state’s existing fleet of vehicles with alternative sources. The group would have consider infrastructure and costs, among other considerations.