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Senate advances SB 247 to create loan fund for clean‑fuel vehicle conversions
Summary
SB 247 would create a $500,000 state appropriation to seed a loan fund matched by federal funds to support clean‑fuel fueling stations and bus conversions for major school districts; the Senate approved the bill and sent it to the House.
The Senate passed SB 247 on Feb. 25, a clean‑fuel initiative designed to encourage fleet conversions and fueling‑station infrastructure.
Sponsor Senator McAllister explained the bill would appropriate $500,000 to create a loan fund, to be matched by a federal grant, creating roughly $1 million to promote clean‑fuel use among large state fleets. Three large public‑school districts had expressed interest in hosting fueling facilities where school buses are parked so districts could convert diesel buses to a cleaner fuel. McAllister said the fund would lend money to establish fueling stations (estimated cost per station and three locations cited) and to assist districts in equipping buses (he estimated roughly $4,000 per bus for conversion equipment).
The floor adopted the bill under suspension of the rules and recorded passage; one senator noted a possible conflict of interest because his employer operates a fleet, but he did not seek to disqualify himself on the record.
Quote: “We would appropriate $500,000 into a loan fund. We'd have a million dollars in the fund, which would be used to promote the use of clean fuel,” — Senator McAllister, sponsor of SB 247.
