Massachusetts Considers Hybrid Bill

The Massachusetts Senate is considering a bill that would reward drivers who buy hybrid or alternative fuel cars with tax breaks, free transponders to get through tolls quicker and open access to HOV lanes.

The bill also would require that at least half of the state's fleet of vehicles run on alternative fuels by 2010, and establish an Alternative Fuels Institute at the University of Massachusetts.

Massachusetts is already ninth in the nation in the number of hybrid cars on the road, according to Republican Sen. Bruce Tarr, the bill's author.

"There's a willingness here to embrace this kind of technology," Tarr said. "What we're trying to do is lead the way."

For more on hybrid vehicles, check out the Soultek Blog, where you can read a whole slew of posts on the topic. Also, be sure to visit HybridCars.com. Click here to read about hydrogen and nuclear energy on NEI's Web site. You can also read a fact sheet about the U.S. Department of Energy's Generation IV Initiative, which envisions a hydrogen-based economy.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy Environment Energy Politics Technology Economics Hydrogen Hybrid Vehicles Alternative Fuel