canonical: https://jentic.com/apis/nrel.gov/nrel

# Nrel Gov Transportation Laws and Incentives

The NREL Transportation Laws and Incentives API queries a curated database of US federal and state laws and incentives covering alternative fuels, vehicles, air quality, and fuel efficiency. It powers the Federal and State Laws and Incentives section of the Alternative Fuels Data Center at afdc.energy.gov. Four endpoints return list views, a category list, the contacts (points of contact) table, and a single-record lookup, with results available in multiple output formats via the {output_format} path parameter.

## For AI agents

Query US federal and state laws and incentives for alternative fuels, EVs, and air quality through 4 endpoints. Free with an api.data.gov key.

## Scope

Does not handle EV charging station locations, fuel pricing, or grant applications - use for federal and state alt-fuel law and incentive records only.

## Capabilities

- Search federal and state alternative-fuel laws by jurisdiction, fuel type, or category
- Retrieve a specific incentive or law record by ID for citation in reports
- List the full taxonomy of incentive categories used by AFDC
- Pull points-of-contact records for state and federal incentive program officers
- Output records as JSON, XML, or CSV via the {output_format} path parameter

## Use cases

### Fleet Electrification Eligibility Research

Fleet operators evaluating EV transitions use this API to identify federal and state incentives applicable to their jurisdictions and vehicle classes. Querying /v1.{output_format} with a state filter returns the active law set, and `/v1/{id}.{output_format}` fetches the full text of any incentive cited in a procurement memo. This avoids manually scraping afdc.energy.gov.

Example prompt: Call GET /v1.json?state=CA and filter results to EV charging infrastructure incentives for a 2026 fleet plan

### Alt-Fuel Compliance Tracking

Automakers and energy consultants track the changing landscape of state alt-fuel laws to advise clients on compliance and rebates. The `/v1/category-list.{output_format}` endpoint returns the canonical taxonomy AFDC uses, and incentive records are versioned so apps can flag new or amended laws. Combining categories with state filters supports periodic compliance dashboards.

Example prompt: Call GET `/v1/category-list.json` then GET /v1.json?category=tax_incentives&state=NY for a New York compliance brief

### AI Agent Incentive Lookup via Jentic

Energy-policy AI agents use Jentic to discover this API and answer user questions like "what EV rebates apply to a Texas resident in 2026". The agent calls /v1.json with the state filter, parses the relevant incentive records, and returns a summary with citations to the underlying AFDC law IDs.

Example prompt: Use Jentic to search 'state EV rebate by jurisdiction', load /v1.{output_format}, and execute with state=TX

## Key endpoints

| Method | Path | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GET | `/v1.{output_format}` | Search and list laws and incentives |
| GET | `/v1/category-list.{output_format}` | List incentive categories used by AFDC |
| GET | `/v1/pocs.{output_format}` | List points of contact for incentive programs |
| GET | `/v1/{id}.{output_format}` | Retrieve a single incentive or law record by ID |

## Key resources

- **Laws and Incentives** — Search and retrieve federal and state alt-fuel laws and incentive records
- **Categories** — AFDC's canonical incentive category taxonomy
- **Points of Contact** — State and federal program contacts for each incentive

## Why Jentic

- **Setup:** Wiring the Transportation Laws and Incentives API by hand means obtaining an api.data.gov key, appending it to every request to developer.nrel.gov, and handling the output-format suffix and filter parameters yourself. Through Jentic you install once, import the Transportation Laws and Incentives API from the API Directory, store the API key once, and your agent calls it.
- **Permission scoping:** This API puts the law or incentive id in the URL path (`/v1/{id}.{output_format}`), so a rule can pin your agent to one record. Every operation here is a read-only lookup, so you choose whether the agent lists laws, reads categories, or fetches a single record.
- **Credential handling:** Your api.data.gov key for NREL is stored once, encrypted, by your own Jentic One instance and injected as the api_key query parameter at execution time. It never enters the agent's prompt, logs, or context.
- **Discovery method:** Agents search Jentic by intent such as 'look up a state EV rebate' or 'list alt-fuel incentive categories', and Jentic returns the matching operation with its filter schema so the agent calls the right endpoint without browsing the reference docs.

## Related APIs

- **data.gov** — Federal open data catalog and api.data.gov key infrastructure
- **NOAA** — US weather and climate data, useful for renewable-energy modeling alongside NREL
- **National Park Service API** — Different federal API but same api.data.gov key flow and rate limits

## FAQ

### What authentication does the Transportation Laws and Incentives API use?

It uses an api.data.gov API key passed as the api_key query parameter, the same key infrastructure used across NREL and other federal APIs. Through Jentic, the key is held encrypted in the vault and injected at execution time so it never appears in agent prompts.

### Can I filter laws by state with the Transportation Laws and Incentives API?

Yes. GET /v1.{output_format} accepts a state query parameter that returns laws and incentives applicable to that jurisdiction, including federal entries that apply nationally.

### What are the rate limits for the Transportation Laws and Incentives API?

The default api.data.gov tier allows 1,000 requests per hour per API key. NREL does not impose tighter limits on this dataset, but their developer portal at developer.nrel.gov publishes any deviations.

### How do I retrieve a specific incentive record through Jentic?

Search Jentic for 'NREL incentive lookup by id', load the GET `/v1/{id}.{output_format}` schema, and execute with the record id and desired output format. The flow is pip install jentic, then await client.search, load, and execute.

### Is the Transportation Laws and Incentives API free?

Yes. It is free under the api.data.gov terms; you only need to register for a key and respect the per-hour request limit.

### Can I limit what my agent is allowed to do with the Transportation Laws and Incentives API?

Yes. Because you run Jentic One yourself, your own rules decide which of the four read-only operations your agent may call, so you can allow it to search laws with GET /v1.{output_format}, list categories with GET `/v1/category-list.{output_format}`, read contacts with GET `/v1/pocs.{output_format}`, or fetch a single record with GET `/v1/{id}.{output_format}` while blocking the rest. Since the record id sits in the URL path of `/v1/{id}.{output_format}`, a rule can even pin your agent to one specific incentive record. Every endpoint is a lookup that only reads data, so no rule you set can let the agent write to or change the AFDC dataset.