California Approves $738M for Electrification Projects

The California Public Utilities Commission has approved $738 million in transportation electrification projects for the state’s three largest utilities —Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric, and Southern California Edison. The approved projects aim to help speed the transition to electrified transportation for consumers and fleets.

These projects include:

• San Diego Gas & Electric’s (SDG&E) Residential Charging Program ($137 million): SDG&E will provide rebates to residential customers to install up to 60,000 Level 2 charging stations at home.
• SDG&E’s Residential Grid Integrated Rate (no incremental costs): SDG&E will offer customers participating in the Residential Charging Program the option to enroll in an EV-only rate that varies hourly based on day-ahead forecasts of grid conditions.
• Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) Direct Current Fast Charging Make-Ready Program ($22 million): PG&E will install the make-ready infrastructure at approximately 52 sites that will support approximately 234 fast charging stations.
• PG&E’s FleetReady Program ($236 million): PG&E will install the make-ready infrastructure at a minimum of 700 sites to support the electrification of at least 6,500 medium- or heavy-duty vehicles.
• Southern California Edison’s (SCE) Medium- and Heavy-Duty Infrastructure Program ($343 million): SCE will install the make-ready infrastructure at a minimum of 870 sites to support the electrification of at least 8,490 medium- or heavy-duty vehicles.
• SCE’s Commercial Electric Vehicle Rate Design (no incremental costs): SCE will establish three new time-of-use rates for commercial customers with electric vehicles.

The projects are expected to be implemented over approximately five years.

“The only way to get to a largely carbon-free California is by substantially electrifying the state’s vast transportation system,” said Commissioner Carla J. Peterman, who is assigned to the transportation electrification proceeding. “The decision made today aims to balance costs with benefits for all ratepayers, considers impacts on competition, and directs significant portions of the utility programs to disadvantaged communities often hit hardest by traffic and air pollution. If we’re successful with this and other electrification efforts already underway, much of the nation will likely follow California’s lead, and together we will make a difference in the fight against climate change.”

In 2016, the CPUC directed the investor-owned utilities to submit applications proposing projects aimed at accelerating transportation electrification across all sectors, from light-duty passenger cars to medium- and heavy-duty fleet, transit, and freight vehicles. PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E proposed the large-scale programs approved today, initially requesting approximately $1 billion to implement. Today’s decision modifies some aspects of each approved program, including the budgets. The decision was based on a robust public process that included 11 days of Evidentiary Hearings and four Commissioner-led community workshops throughout the state.

Related: Calif. Utilities Approve $41M for EV Pilots

Originally posted on Work Truck Online