Sen. Wilton Simpson says legislation he introduced last year creating a natural gas vehicle incentive has since produced 1,820 jobs and $68 million in wages throughout the state.
“This economic report shows how successful Florida’s Natural Gas Vehicle Rebate program has been,” the Trilby Republican said, in a release. “This fuel provides significant budget savings to governmental entities, the business world and our citizens.”
Simpson called natural gas a “game changer” for both the state and the country, “not only for motor vehicles, but for the energy sector, commercial businesses, and the manufacturing industry.”
Before his bill, Simpson said there were 18 compressed natural gas stations in Florida. Now there are 61, with another 29 planned — a 238 percent increase over that period.
A CNG station costs an average of $1.5 million, according to a report by the Florida Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition, meaning the investment into CNG station infrastructure has been $91.5 million over the past two years.
Since Jan. 1, Florida has spent $4.7 million in rebates issued under the program. Using methodology employed by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, that investment has generated a total economic output of $204.5 million.
To read more of the study, visit FuelForJobs.com.
