H. B. 2733
(By Delegate Love)
[Introduced February 24, 1995; referred to the
Committee on Roads and Transportation then the Judiciary.]
A BILL to amend article two-d, chapter twenty-four of the code
of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section
four, relating to alternative fuel providers; mandated
inclusion of alternative fuel vehicles in vehicle purchases
and leases; mandatory percentages of alternative fuel
vehicles to increase progressively; fleets to be included in
the requirement; definition of "alternative fuel providers"
as fleets having five or more leased or owned vehicles
operating in West Virginia and companies and individuals who
produce, distribute or sell alternative fuels, including coal-derived liquids producers, independent electric power
generators, electric utilities, natural gas producers,
natural gas pipeline operators, propane producers and
distributors, natural gas utilities, methanol and ethanol
producers and distributors and retailers of alternative
fuels.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article two-d, chapter twenty-four of the code of West
Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be
amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section four,
to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2D. ALTERNATIVE FUEL INITIATIVES.
§24-2D-4. Requirements for alternative fuel providers; mandatory
inclusion
of
vehicles
sold,
leased or
operated.
(a) All businesses in this state involved in the sale or
lease of new automobiles shall be required for the following
years, beginning in one thousand nine hundred ninety-six, to offer alternative fuel vehicles, as defined by section two of
this article, in the following proportions relative to all of the
automobiles, held as inventory or stock, intended for sale or
lease:
(1) Thirty percent for the year one thousand nine hundred
ninety-six;
(2) Fifty percent for the year one thousand nine hundred
ninety-seven;
(3) Seventy percent for the year one thousand nine hundred
ninety-eight; and,
(4) Ninety percent for the year one thousand nine hundred
ninety-nine and thereafter.
(b) Businesses who own, lease or operate fleets of five or
more vehicles in this state, in counties where public access to
alternative fuels refueling stations exist, shall, additionally,
be subject to the percentage requirements set forth in subsection
(a) of this section in relation to the total numbers of vehicles
such businesses own, lease or operate: Provided, That for the purpose of this article, fleets of five or more vehicles,
existing in counties where alternative fuels refueling stations
exist, shall be known and defined as "alternative fuel
providers": Provided, however, That the term "alternative fuel
provider" shall, for the purpose of this article, also include
any business in this state, regardless of its location, that
produces, distributes or sells alternative fuels, including, but
not limited to, coal-derived liquids producers, independent
electric power generators, electric utilities, natural gas
producers, natural gas utilities, methanol and ethanol producers
and distributors and any business that provides alternative fuels
on a retail basis. All alternative fuel providers in this state,
as defined in this subsection, shall be subject to the percentage
requirements, as prescribed in subsection (a) of this section, in
relation to all vehicles owned, leased or operated by such
alternative fuel providers.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to mandate the inclusion
of alternative fuel vehicles for sale or lease and to mandate the
use of such vehicles by certain businesses involved in some
fashion or the other to the alternative fuel industry. The bill
sets forth progressively increasing percentage requirements in
future years for alternative fuel vehicles offered for sale or
lease or which are owned, leased or operated by businesses that
are involved in the alternative fuel industry.
This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.