Sec. 394.010. CLEAN TRANSPORTATION TRIANGLE. (a) To ensure that natural gas vehicles purchased, leased, or otherwise commercially financed or repowered under the program have access to fuel, and to build the foundation for a self-sustaining market for natural gas vehicles in Texas, the commission shall award grants to support the development of a network of natural gas vehicle fueling stations along the interstate highways connecting Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and Fort Worth, and in nonattainment areas and affected counties of the state. In awarding the grants, the commission shall provide for:
(1) strategically placed natural gas vehicle fueling stations in and between the Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas-Fort Worth areas, and in nonattainment areas and affected counties of the state, to enable a natural gas vehicle to travel in those areas relying solely on natural gas fuel;
(2) grants to be dispersed through a competitive bidding process to offset a portion of the cost of installation of the natural gas dispensing equipment;
(3) contracts that require the recipient stations to meet operational, maintenance, and reporting requirements as specified by the commission; and
(4) a listing, to be maintained by the commission and made available to the public online, of all natural gas vehicle fueling stations that have received grant funding, including location and hours of operation.
(b) The commission may not award more than one grant for each station.
(c) Grants awarded under this section may not exceed:
(1) $400,000 for a compressed natural gas station;
(2) $400,000 for a liquefied natural gas station; or
(3) $600,000 for a station providing both liquefied and compressed natural gas.
(d) Stations funded by grants under this section must be publicly accessible. The commission shall give preference to:
(1) stations providing both liquefied natural gas and compressed natural gas at a single location;
(2) stations located not more than one mile from an interstate highway system; and
(3) stations located in the triangular area between the Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas-Fort Worth areas.
(e) To meet the goals of this section, the commission may solicit grant applications under this section for a new fueling station in a specific area or location.
(f) Grants made under this section are not subject to the requirements of Sections 394.002 through 394.008. The commission shall develop an application package and review applications in accordance with Sections 386.110 and 386.111.
(f-1) An application for a grant under this section must include a certification that the applicant complies with laws, rules, guidelines, and requirements applicable to taxation of fuel provided by the applicant at each fueling facility owned or operated by the applicant. The commission may terminate a grant awarded under this section without further obligation to the grant recipient if the commission determines that the recipient did not comply with a law, rule, guideline, or requirement described by this subsection. This subsection does not create a cause of action to contest an application or award of a grant.
(g) The commission, in consultation with the natural gas industry, shall determine the most efficient use of funding for the station grants under this section to maximize the availability of natural gas fueling stations.
Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 892 (S.B. 385), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2011.
Amended by:
Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1230 (S.B. 1727), Sec. 23, eff. June 14, 2013.
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