Fuel-cell Bill Makes it Through First Committee

State Senate Bill 5000 passed out of the Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee Thursday and has now been referred to the Senate Transportation Committee for further consideration.

Senator Brad Hawkins explained that the bill aims to reduce the sales tax on purchases of fuel-cell electric vehicles as part of an eight-year, statewide pilot project.

"The people of North Central Washington have been leaders in clean energy for decades with their hydropower and now potentially with hydrogen." said Hawkins, "I can really see how we could have vehicles, transit buses, school buses, and someday short-haul agricultural vehicles all powered by our home-produced hydrogen."

Through the bill Hawkins aims to provide fuel-cell electric vehicles with the same sales tax exemption as traditional plug-in electric vehicles.

Hawkins' legislation has nearly 30 co-sponsors.