Arkansas Energy Office provides more rebates for clean fuel conversion

The Arkansas Energy Office (AEO), a division of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, has announced that $150,000 in rebates will be awarded through its Clean Fuel Vehicle Rebate Program, part of the Gaseous Fuels Rebate Program.

The Gaseous Fuels Rebate Program has four objectives:
• Provide an incentive for the purchase of clean alternative fuel vehicles;
• Provide an incentive for the conversion of vehicles to a clean alternative fuel using certified or approved conversion systems;
• To develop the refueling infrastructure for various alternative fuels; and
• Reduce emissions from motor vehicles and improve air quality in our communities.

“The popularity of clean fuel vehicles continues to rise, but more can be done to entice consumers to make the switch to clean fuels. By providing incentives to both fleet operators and fuel stations, there is a better opportunity for alternative motor fuels to take hold,” Mitchell Simpson, deputy director of the Arkansas Energy Office, said in a statement.

The Clean Fuel Vehicle Rebate Program applies to fleet operators for the conversion to compressed natural gas (CNG)/propane or the purchase of a CNG/propane fleet. The rebate amount is dependent upon the cost of conversion or incremental cost of a clean fuel vehicle and allows for a rebate equivalent to the lesser of 50% of the conversion/incremental cost or $4,500 per vehicle. Funds for the program were provided by General Improvement Funds and the Northwest Arkansas Development Council. There is no application deadline, but the rebates are available only on a first-come, first-served basis.

In addition, a total of $600,000 in funds will be issued to two fueling station operators through the Gaseous Fuels Rebate Program to install Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) equipment to provide public access to clean burning motor fuels. Kum & Go in Springdale received a $400,000 rebate and Arkansas Oklahoma Gas station in Fort Smith received $200,000. The Northwest Arkansas Development Council provided $400,000 of the total rebate amount and the AEO provided $200,000.

AEO administers the Arkansas Gaseous Fuels Rebate Program, as authorized by Arkansas Act 532 of 2013. The program supports the continued development of a publicly accessible, statewide network of alternative fuel filling stations and incentives for the purchase/conversion of fleet vehicles to clean-burning fuels such as compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The rebates allowed under the program are for the lesser of $400,000 or 75% of refueling station construction/retrofit costs and the lesser of $4,500 or 50% of the conversion costs for vehicles.

Link to the AEO website for more information and an application.