Utah Foundation has partnered with the Utah Clean Air Partnership (UCAIR) to study the incentives and disincentives around alternative-fuel vehicles in the context of improving Utah’s air quality.
Poor air quality is both a health issue and an economic challenge along the Wasatch Front. One of the biggest drivers of poor air quality is automobile traffic – a problem that could be alleviated by shifting to alternative fuel vehicles, among which electric vehicles now appear to be the most promising solution.
The research objectives of the project include:
- Examining the national landscape for state-level tax incentives for alternative fuel vehicles and determining how aggressive Utah’s incentives are compared to those in other states.
- Identifying ways in which Utah may be discouraging alternative fuel vehicle use.
- Examining incentive programs, with an eye toward usage rates and costs.
- Reviewing current and past incentive programs in Utah.
- Exploring possible Utah incentives for employers to provide the infrastructure (charging stations, etc.) to encourage employees to purchase alternative-fuel vehicles.
- Providing guidance to policymakers on ways to encourage shifts to alternative fuel vehicles among private citizens, the public sector and businesses.
“Utah Foundation’s survey work consistently shows air quality to be among the very top concerns of Utahns,” said Utah Foundation President Peter Reichard. “We are pleased UCAIR is supporting our efforts to explore how we can make our state a national leader in encouraging lower emissions on our roads.”
