A jumpstart for alternatives.

• Position: Statestats

With the goal of cutting back the nation's dependence on foreign oil and reducing motor vehicle emissions, 23 states have laws that promote the use of alternative fuels, or have stricter emisions standards.

They include financial incentives for buying alternative fuel vehicles, access to high occupancy lanes for hybrid electric and other low-emission vehicles regardless of the number of passengers and exemption from state emissions testing requirements. Eight states require that state fleets be updated with AFVs.

There are numerous alternative fuels--biodiesel, compressed natural gas, ethanol, hydrogen, liquefied natural gas and propane. All of them help lower emissions and reduce dependency on foreign oil.

Congress took the lead in promoting alternative fuel vehicles in the Energy Policy Act of 1992, which estahlished a voluntary low emissions program. Under it, manufacturers are producing cars and light-duty trucks that meet more stringent tailpipe standards than EPA mandates.

Because California's air standards predate the federal Clean Air Act of 1993, it has its own stricter rules for vehicle emissions, and other states have the option of choosing them over federal regulations.

Manufacturers would like to make the standards compulsory and equal to California's stricter mandates so they can design and test vehicles to one set of requirements nationwide.

OPTING FOR STRICTER CALIFORNIA...