The South Coast Air Quality Management District, Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the California Plug-In Electric Vehicle Collaborative last week announced the award of a federal grant to help prepare California and its motorists for the projected growth in plug-in electric vehicles.
The U.S. Department of Energy Clean Cities Community Readiness and Planning for PEV and Charging Infrastructure grant will help fund a unified statewide, multiregional approach to planning and implementation of PEV charging infrastructure activities in order to support and expand the market for PEVs in California.
The DOE award only funds PEV infrastructure planning but not implementation of infrastructure. The $1 million grant will help enhance PEV infrastructure readiness in six regions in California, which include South Coast, Bay Area, San Diego, Sacramento, the Central Coast and San Joaquin Valley.
In addition to the creation of six regional PEV infrastructure plans and a statewide PEV infrastructure plan, PEV readiness guidelines will be created to outline a model approach for streamlined implementation of PEV infrastructure, as well as policy recommendations and best practices for PEV readiness. A California PEV Coordinating Council also will be formed to coordinate the planning process and collectively address issues associated with PEV infrastructure planning.
“Electric vehicles are key to improving air quality in California and particularly in the South Coast region,” says Barry Wallerstein, SCAQMD executive officer. “This collaborative partnership further strengthens California’s commitment to planning for a future of near-zero and zero-emissions vehicles.”
