Title
a. Consider accepting $10,486,742 in funds through the Advanced Technology Demonstration and Pilot Projects Solicitation grant program from the California Air Resources Board and the California Energy Commission; and,
b. Consider recommending the Board of Supervisors to authorize the County Contracts Purchasing Officer, or designee, to enter into agreement with the California Air Resources Board as the lead applicant for the Regional Climate Project Working Group for an award of $10,019,303 for electric vehicle procurement, planning, and training; and
c. Consider recommending the Board of Supervisors to authorize the County Contracts Purchasing Officer, or designee, to enter into agreement with the California Energy Commission as the lead applicant for the Regional Climate Project Working Group for an award of $5,688,125 for electric vehicle charging station installation; and,
d. Provide direction to staff as needed.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Budget Committee:
a. Consider accepting $10,486,742 in funds through the Advanced Technology Demonstration and Pilot Projects Solicitation grant program from the California Air Resources Board and the California Energy Commission; and,
b. Consider recommending the Board of Supervisors to authorize the County Contracts Purchasing Officer, or designee, to enter into agreement with the California Air Resources Board as the lead applicant for the Regional Climate Project Working Group for an award of $10,019,303 for electric vehicle procurement, planning, and training; and
c. Consider recommending the Board of Supervisors to authorize the County Contracts Purchasing Officer, or designee, to enter into agreement with the California Energy Commission as the lead applicant for the Regional Climate Project Working Group for an award of $5,688,125 for electric vehicle charging station installation; and,
d. Provide direction to staff as needed.
SUMMARY:
The State of California, California Air Resources Board (CARB) issued a Grant Solicitation on July 14, 2023, under the Advanced Technology Demonstration and Pilot Projects program. Included within this solicitation was a first-time program focused on supporting broad and creative roads to zero-emission adoption at the municipal level, called the Green Zones program. Green Zones seeks to fund zero-emission holistic projects that could be focused on almost any operations within a city, municipality, or group of cities that currently use combustion technologies in carrying out the duties of the municipality.
The Board of Supervisors authorized the Sustainability Program to apply to this grant program on October 17, 2023, in a combined application with the participating members of the Regional Climate Project Working Group (RCPWG), which included Counties of San Benito and
Santa Cruz and the Cities of Santa Cruz and Watsonville. This award was successful in the amount of $15,707,428. Of the total award amount, $10,486,742 is the amount the County will receive to complete the grant scope. This is a joint grant from the California Air Resources Board and the California Energy Commission. Staff request that this committee recommend the acceptance of this award by the Board of Supervisors.
DISCUSSION:
County staff participates in a regional collaborative with the Counties of San Benito and Santa Cruz and the Cities of Santa Cruz, Salinas and Watsonville called the Regional Climate Project Working Group (RCPWG) to develop, prioritize, secure funding for, and effectively and equitably advocate for and implement regionally beneficial climate mitigation and adaptation projects and programs.
The primary scope of the grant award is focused on the installation of electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) and the procurement of electric vehicles (EV) across participating jurisdictions. While final numbers are subject to change this includes 55 EVs and 46 EVCS for the County, 5 EVs for the County of San Benito, 9 EVs and 40 EVCS for the County of Santa Cruz, 15 EVs and 8 EVCS for the City of Santa Cruz, and 7 EVs and 1 EVCS for the City of Watsonville. As the lead applicant, the County will subcontract with each of these participating Counties and assist them in submitting reimbursement claims to the California Air Resources Board and the California Energy Commission. The County is using the ongoing solar projects at the Government Center, ITD building, and Natividad Medical Center as matching funds for this project in the amount of $12,256,171. The remaining $3,451,257 in match is being provided by RCPWG member jurisdictions.
In addition to EVCS and EV procurement, this grant includes additional scopes for EV planning, barrier identification, and problem solving through a “community of practice” forum and a workforce development scope. Staff from each jurisdiction will participate in quarterly meetings facilitated by project management professionals with special training in organizational change and transitions. This community of practice will provide a forum for fleet, maintenance, and various department staff to identify barriers to transitioning fleets from internal combustion engines to EVs. The consultants will develop a stakeholder analysis, identify impacted groups of municipal staff and what staff impacts could result from the transition to EVs. Working with staff in the community of practice and with management from each jurisdiction, the consultants will produce recommendations, vetted by the community of practice, to help transition organizational policies, staff roles and responsibilities and other behavioral aspects of municipal fleet management.
Additionally, the City of Santa Cruz recently completed a web-based tool that analyzes their existing fleet (both internal combustion and EVs), their existing EV charging infrastructure and their parking facilities (e.g., corporation yards, city halls) together with data on EV costs and available incentives, to create user-specified scenarios on transitioning fleets to EVs.
The tool’s scenarios can help a
jurisdiction:
• Prioritize EV purchases and EV charging infrastructure installation;
• Estimate the total cost of a full EV transition;
• Identify incentives for any EV or EV charging purchase and many other scenarios.
This grant would expand the deployment of this tool, or similar tool, to RCPWG member agencies. The procurement process for this tool, or similar tool, will be subject to County procurement processes.
The workforce development scope of the grant includes an initial round of training for EV users, mechanics and maintenance staff. It will start with two joint training sessions across the jurisdictions (one for EV users and one for mechanics/maintenance staff) and then each jurisdiction will receive five three-hour hands-on training sessions at their sites with their EV charging stations and their EVs. The County staff time mentioned above is for County participation in the community of practice and workforce development portions of the grant.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Alternative Energy & Environment Committee recommended that this item advance to the Board on April 27, 2026. Staff are coordinating on this project from the Sustainability Program with Public Works, Facilities, and Parks. Departments benefiting from EV and EVCS procurement per the initial grant scoping include the Agricultural Commissioner’s Office, Communications Bureau, Public Works Facilities and Parks, the Health Department, Information Technology Department, Monterey County Free Libraries, and Social Services. These departments’ scopes were developed for the initial application, so there is potential for other County departments to participate if needs have shifted.
FINANCING:
Staff plans to take this item to the Board of Supervisors through the Budget Committee. This grant will require appropriations as a reimbursable grant in the amount of $9,230,148. Additionally, the County will receive $1,256,594 from the State for grant administration. The County is using the ongoing solar projects at the Government Center, ITD building, and Natividad Medical Center as matching funds for this project in the amount of $12,256,171. Using the solar projects as match allows the County to undertake this work having already met the match requirements under the grant awards.
The County will be responsible for the following portions of the grant scope and budget as the lead applicant that will require state reimbursement:
Task 1, Planning, barrier identification and solution development
Planning and Final Report- $216,000
Community of Practice Subcontractor- $1,797,230
Fleet Electrification Tool- $100,750
Community Engagement Subcontractor- $361,566
Task 2, Workforce Development:
Workforce Development Subcontractor- $43,435
Training Provider Subcontractor- $70,760
Task 3, Electric vehicle and charging infrastructure procurement and data collection:
Telematics installation- $55,000
Electric Vehicle Charger Installation- $3,463,408
Electric Vehicle Acquisition- $3,122,000
This brings the total scope to be reimbursed by the State to $9,230,148. Staff will return to the Board to address appropriation considerations after the budget for FY26/27 has been adopted to complete the scope of work for this grant. Additionally, the County Sustainability Program will receive $1,256,594 for completing grant administration under this grant under task 4, bringing the total grant amount accepted to $10,486,742.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
Mark a check to the related Board of Supervisors Strategic Initiatives
_X_ Economic Development
_X_ Administration
_X_ Health & Human Services
_X_ Infrastructure
_X_Public Safety
Prepared by: Cora Panturad, Sustainability Program Manager x5338
Approved by: Debbie Paolinelli, Assistant County Administrative Officer x5309
Attachments:
GreenZones California Air Resources Board Agreement
Greenzones CEC Agreement
Greenzones Preliminary Award Letter
Greenzones Preliminary Award Letter Addendum