California Public Utilities Commission Unanimously Approves Electric Vehicle Charging Program #EV

On December 15th, the California Public Utilities Commission unanimously voted to approve Charge Smart and Save, a program initiated by Pacific Gas & Electric to deploy 7,500 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across Northern California. Under the program, PG&E will primarily deploy stations at multi-family dwellings and workplaces, with electricity price based on time-of-use to encourage drivers to fill up during off-peak hours or when renewable energy is abundant–maximizing fuel cost savings for EV drivers.The approval for PG&E’s $130 million program builds on vehicle infrastructure programs approved for Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric earlier this year, which combined will result in a total of 5,000 charging stations deployed in Southern California. Together, these three programs mark important steps forward at a critical time for EVs in the state, where Governor Brown has set a goal to have 1.5 million EVs on California’s roads by 2025. Each program has a goal of using lessons learned to improve future, larger scale deployments in the state.

“We are pleased to see the Commission give the ‘green light’ to Charge Smart and Save, an innovative program that will allow Northern Californians to plug in their vehicles where charging is needed most and when it’s most beneficial to the grid,” said Sierra Club attorney Joe Halso. “This program will help California build healthier communities and sets a strong example for utilities across the country. The Sierra Club looks forward to working with the Commission to strengthen and expand this program in the future.”

The program includes a commitment for PG&E to deploy 15 percent of charging stations in disadvantaged communities, with a stretch goal of 20 percent, as well as a goal of deploying 50 percent of all stations in multi-unit dwellings, where unique barriers have historically limited deployment of charging infrastructure.

The Charge Smart and Save program approved today is a modified version of a settlement agreement supported by the Sierra Club, Pacific Gas & Electric, and a diverse group of stakeholders. The parties, which represent environmentalists, environmental justice advocates, automakers, labor unions, and representatives of community choice aggregators and EV-charging companies, submitted their settlement to the Commission in March.

The settlement signatories included Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Honda, Center for Sustainable Energy, Coalition of California Utility Employees, General Motors, Greenlining, Greenlots, Marin Clean Energy, Natural Resources Defense Council, Pacific Gas & Electric, Plug In America, the Sierra Club, and Sonoma Clean Power.