(BOSTON) – Last week, the legislature endorsed a supplemental budget for the fiscal year 2020. Included in the budget was an authorization for $27 million, originally proposed by Rep. Dykema in the House Greenworks climate legislation, that will continue the MOR-EV Electric Vehicle incentive program.

The highly popular program, which has been managed by the state Department of Energy Resources and the Center for Sustainable Energy, offers rebates of up to $5,000 for those looking to purchase or lease an electric battery or fuel-cell powered vehicle. The program has issued over $31 million in rebates for over 15,000 vehicles since its inception in 2014, but recently ran out of funding in September of this year.  This additional allocation will support the program for the next two years and included a per vehicle price cap proposed by the House to ensure that these rebates go towards the vehicles and drivers that need them the most.

“Making meaningful progress in the fight against climate change will take serious investment in the transportation sector which currently accounts for 42% of our greenhouse gas emissions,” Representative Dykema said. “Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular, and programs like MOR-EV encourage faster adoption by consumers and incentivizes continued innovation in greener automotive technology by manufacturers. Getting this passed was truly a team effort that represents consensus among a broad range of stakeholders and is a strong statement about our commitment to climate action.”

Starting in January 2020, the three following types of vehicles will be eligible for a MOR-EV rebate:

• Battery Electric Vehicles
• Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles
• Zero-Emission Motorcycles

For more information regarding the MOR-EV program and to see a full list of qualifying vehicles, please visit the Department of Energy Resources website or https://mor-ev.org.

The proposal was initiated in Greenworks climate legislation championed by Speaker DeLeo and the Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy, and then incorporated into the supplemental budget.

The supplemental budget also provided critical closeout funding to several state programs, including MassHealth, an income-based state insurance program and the MBTA, as well as transferring over $500 million of the Commonwealth’s surplus to the “rainy day” fund to ensure continued stability in state budgeting.   

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Representative Carolyn Dykema represents the communities of Holliston, Hopkinton, Southborough and Precinct 2 of Westborough in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.