Senator Hawkins Forecasts Future for Hydrogen Powered Vehicles in the State

Senator Brad Hawkins' Senate Bill 5000, legislation to promote hydrogen powered vehicles, is en route to Governor Inslee's desk after being approved by the legislature. The hydrogen vehicle sales tax package will establish an eight year statewide pilot project for the reduction of sales tax on purchases of fuel-cell electric vehicles.

Senator Hawkins shared insight on the future of hydrogen powered vehicles in the state.

"We need to have a few things in place in our state. We need to have the production of renewable hydrogen, which my bill from a couple of years ago authorizes the PUDs to do," said Senator Hawkins.

Douglas PUD is in the process of constructing the renewable hydrogen facility with plans to be completed in November 2021. Hawkins is hopeful Governor Inslee will sign the bill to solve the need for parity in sales tax treatment between fuel cell and battery electric vehicles.

"We also need fueling infrastructure, just like we need charging facilities for battery electric vehicles," said Hawkins. "The hydrogen proponents believe we can catch up to the battery electrics quickly because there isn't as much of upstream, backend infrastructure challenges with hydrogen fueling."

The first fueling stations for hydrogen powered vehicles will be in place in southwest Washington by the end of 2021.

Hawkins added he's an advocate for clean transportation and takes the avenue of incentivizing clean transportation with clean options rather than punitive measures.