California Public Utilities Commission adopts five-year transportation electrification program
Last week, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) announced a five-year, $1 billion transportation electrification program to prioritize investment to bolster electric vehicle adoption.
As a result, the state will form a central policy-driven funding structure for utility transportation electrification efforts. The plan also prioritized investments in charging infrastructure for low-income, tribal, and underserved utility customers throughout California. Broken down, 70 percent of the funding will go to charging for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, while the remaining 30 percent will benefit light-duty charging at or near multi-unit dwellings.
“California is leading the world in the zero-emission vehicle revolution, and this $1 billion investment will continue building out the state’s charging infrastructure to make the transition to electric vehicles easier than ever,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said. “This complements the $10 billion package we enacted to build out the infrastructure and make it more affordable for Californians to make their own transition to electric vehicles, part of our overall $54 billion California Climate Commitment. These collective efforts are exactly how we will make our zero-emission transportation future a reality, cutting pollution and driving economic opportunity for Californians.”
In addition to the outright investment, the program will also offer rebates for behind-the-meter, or customer-side, EV infrastructure at commercial, industrial, and residential sites as of 2025, running through 2030. Higher rebates will go to projects in underserved, disadvantaged and tribal communities to guarantee they don’t get left behind in the process of growth.
As part of the process, investor-owned utilities will be required to host annual roundtables and workshops to address potential program alterations with stakeholders and CPUC staff.
