(1) The tax imposed by RCW 82.12.020 does not apply to the use of:
(a) Electric vehicle batteries or fuel cells, including batteries or fuel cells sold as a component of an electric bus at the time of the vehicle's sale;
(b) Labor and services rendered in respect to installing, repairing, altering, or improving electric vehicle batteries or fuel cells;
(c) Tangible personal property that will become a component of battery or fuel cell electric vehicle infrastructure during the course of installing, constructing, repairing, or improving battery or fuel cell electric vehicle infrastructure; and
(d) Zero emissions buses.
(2) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(a) "Battery charging station" means an electrical component assembly or cluster of component assemblies designed specifically to charge batteries within electric vehicles, which meet or exceed any standards, codes, and regulations set forth by chapter 19.28 RCW and consistent with rules adopted under RCW 19.27.540.
(b) "Battery exchange station" means a fully automated facility that will enable an electric vehicle with a swappable battery to enter a drive lane and exchange the depleted battery with a fully charged battery through a fully automated process, which meets or exceeds any standards, codes, and regulations set forth by chapter 19.28 RCW and consistent with rules adopted under RCW 19.27.540.
(c) "Electric vehicle infrastructure" means structures, machinery, and equipment necessary and integral to support a battery or fuel cell electric vehicle, including battery charging stations, rapid charging stations, battery exchange stations, fueling stations that provide hydrogen for fuel cell electric vehicles, and renewable hydrogen production facilities.
(d) "Rapid charging station" means an industrial grade electrical outlet that allows for faster recharging of electric vehicle batteries through higher power levels, which meets or exceeds any standards, codes, and regulations set forth by chapter 19.28 RCW and consistent with rules adopted under RCW 19.27.540.
(e) "Renewable hydrogen" means hydrogen produced using renewable resources both as the source for hydrogen and the source for the energy input into the production process.
(f) "Renewable resource" means (i) water; (ii) wind; (iii) solar energy; (iv) geothermal energy; (v) renewable natural gas; (vi) renewable hydrogen; (vii) wave, ocean, or tidal power; (viii) biodiesel fuel that is not derived from crops raised on land cleared from old growth or first growth forests; or (ix) biomass energy.
(g) "Zero emissions bus" means a bus that emits no exhaust gas from the onboard source of power, other than water vapor.
(3) On the last day of January, April, July, and October of each year, the state treasurer, based upon information provided by the department, must transfer from the multimodal transportation account to the general fund a sum equal to the dollar amount that would otherwise have been deposited into the general fund during the prior calendar quarter but for the exemption provided in this section. Information provided by the department to the state treasurer must be based on the best available data, except that the department may provide estimates of taxes exempted under this section until such time as retailers are able to report such exempted amounts on their tax returns.
(4) This section expires July 1, 2025.
[ 2019 c 287 § 12; 2009 c 459 § 5.]
NOTES:
Tax preference performance statement—2019 c 287 §§ 8-14: See note following RCW 82.04.4496.
Effective date—2019 c 287: See note following RCW 82.29A.125.
Findings—Intent—2019 c 287: See note following RCW 28B.30.903.
Finding—Purpose—2009 c 459: See note following RCW 47.80.090.
Regional transportation planning organizations—Electric vehicle infrastructure: RCW 47.80.090.