Title
a.) Receive a report and presentation in response to Board Referral No. 2021.14 ; and
b.) Direct that staff pursue funding and resources to complete some or all of the best practices for EV Readiness listed in the report; and
c.) Provide further direction, as appropriate.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Receive a report and presentation in response to Board Referral No. 2021.14 ; and
b. Direct that staff pursue funding and resources to complete some or all of the best practices for EV Readiness listed in the report; and
c. Provide further direction, as appropriate.
SUMMARY
On August 24th, 2021, Supervisor Alejo introduced a referral requesting that the Sustainability Program Manager assess the existing EV Charging stations (EVCS) in the County and provide a County-wide map of those EVCS accessible via the county website. The program would also assess the need for charging station infrastructure in the County with a focus on underserved areas and disadvantaged communities. A similar effort was conducted in Contra Costa County (see Attachment D). The program would require the County to investigate potential partners and grant programs. It would also lead to a recommendation for the County’s role in facilitating the public transition to EVs. It is important for the County to ensure an equitable transition to EVs through mapping exercises and policy measures that increase EV charging infrastructure while ensuring that the benefits of EVs, including healthy air and lower costs, reach all County residents.
In adherence with the Board’s Referral Process, staff provided the Board with a preliminary analysis report in response to this referral on September 21, 2021. The following report contains information that was outlined in staff’s initial response, as well as updated information noted below in bold text. A presentation on this matter is attached to this report for the Board’s reference.
DISCUSSION:
EV Charging stations are necessary infrastructure in the transition to electric vehicles. However, they also represent new challenges and questions for the County. As both a large and rural County, the County residents face range anxiety, and a general lack of charging infrastructure in their daily drive, especially when living in rental units where tenants face questions regarding charging at home. Moreover, the County contains many lower-income communities that may perceive electric vehicles as out of reach. The County should investigate several different policy levers to assist its population in making the leap to electric vehicles. The County will also face the challenges of properly siting electric vehicle infrastructure and communicating the charging station locations .
Under AB 2127, the California Energy Commission (CEC) is required to publish a biennial report on statewide progress towards meeting California’s charging needs. The most recent CEC report, published in 2020, estimates that Monterey County has 1,555 Charging ports but will need 11,902 charging stations by 2030. This means that to meet the AB 2127 goal, an average of 1,000 charging stations will need to be installed annually in the County. After meeting with Central Coast Community Energy (3CE), the Monterey Bay Air Resources District (MBARD), and Ecology Action, staff determined that there are several maps already in existence that detail the locations and types of charging stations in Monterey County. These maps are both free to use and regularly updated. One such map is called Plug Share <https://www.plugshare.com/>, which allows any user to search by zip code and type for a charging station. There are also additional regional mapping efforts underway that the County can support and link to.
One such effort will be conducted in partnership with the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) and several other Metropolitan Planning Organizations on the Central Coast. Through initial research, the Sustainability Program has identified that AMBAG (and other central coast counterparts) is a recent recipient of a $250,000 CalTrans grant titled the Central Coast Zero Emission Vehicle Strategy which aims to “identify gaps and opportunities to implement Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) infrastructure on the Central Coast, including on or near the State Highway System, major freight corridors, and transit hubs”. This project will include a map-based planning assessment of existing charging infrastructure, an analysis of gaps and how they affect low income and disadvantaged communities, and a discussion of the opportunities that exist to equitably strengthen ZEV charging infrastructure throughout the central coast. The Sustainability Program will participate in the project execution to advocate for the County’s needs.
Staffing Level Estimate to Complete Map-Based Efforts for EV Charging:
• 1-2 hours of ITD staff time to integrate and link to websites with EVCS. (6 weeks to complete)
o Update: Sustainability staff has compiled a list of regional grants and incentives and is developing a one-pager that will link to the EV landing page to provide education on EV Readiness in the County. All materials will be made available in Spanish and English.
• 20-30 hours to participate in the Central Coast Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Cal Trans Grant. (18-24 months’ timeline to final report)
By implementing this project, the County will better understand where EV infrastructure is needed and the needs of its disadvantaged and low-income communities. However, because this project will be regionally focused, so it does not ensure local policy actions are implemented to support EV charger infrastructure buildout.
Staff therefore recommends that the County link to the available maps and consider the of best practices for EV readiness described below. Each of these require staff time and resources which are not wholly available currently.
If the Board wishes to proceed with any of the below concepts, staff would require direction to further collaborate with County departments and return to the Board to present findings. Staff may also require funding to complete the project concept. Estimates of funding and staff time needed are provided below. Staff will return to the Board in one month to present in detail on each of these options.
Project Concepts and Best Practices for EV Readiness:
• Issue an RFP for Use of County Lands for Charging- No cost beyond FY20/21 allocated budget; 40-60 hours of staff time required. Work with partners to Install DC fast charging stations on County owned lands along major corridors such as Highway 1, 101, and 68. Issue an RFP for 3rd party vendors to install fast charging stations around the County with a focus on low income and disadvantaged communities as well as multi-unit dwellings. Ensure low carbon fuel credits are monetized and reasonable fees are charged to recoup expenses, continually re-investing in EV infrastructure with the revenues. This could be done in conjunction with cities for a wider reach and better positioning. See Attachment A for details.
• Prioritize EVCS in CIP- Set aside at least $150,000 annually for installation of EVCS in Monterey County CIP. Some efforts can be done in conjunction with major projects including parking garages and parking lot renovations. This effort will be managed through the new Sustainability Infrastructure Analyst but requires funding in the CIP process.
o Update: Grants and incentives will supplement the installation of charging stations in the County. Often hardware is provided at no cost to the County, but make-ready installation costs and project manager expenses are needed to ensure the County can take advantage of these funds.
• Adopt an EV Readiness Ordinance - $70,000 and 1-3 months of HCD staff time required. Adopt a reach code similar to San Francisco’s EV Readiness Ordinance or Tier 1 or 2 Voluntary electric vehicle supply code for CalGreen building code which would increase the number of charging stations required for new construction beyond the state code, especially in low rise multi-family and deep retrofits. This concept was presented to the Alternative Energy and Environment Committee in 2017. It is unclear what the Committee’s response was, but it may have been due to a lack of resources and staff time. See attachments B and C for details.
o Update: Staff has determined that 3CE will be hosting stakeholder engagement activities for EV readiness ordinances in the Monterey Bay region. The County should be able to use the feedback that 3CE receives in order to develop a reach code that could be adopted during the 2023 building code cycle. This should reduce costs for this effort somewhat.
• Develop County EV Purchasing Policy- Projected savings of $1.5-2M (see attachment G) with some upfront investment and added costs for charging stations. A fellow will be coming on board in the Sustainability Program to assist with department-level education and presentations on fleet electrification at the County this year. A purchasing policy could require all new light-duty purchases for County vehicles to be electric unless the driver demonstrates a special need that is not available in electric vehicles (i.e. driving greater than 300 miles daily). Initial studies suggest this is a cost-effective policy which would save the County $1.5-2M in near term vehicle switches to be made in the next 0-3 years. This cost does not factor in the cost of installing any needed charging stations and additional research is proposed to determine EVCS placement for County fleet.
• Streamline Permitting between multiple Agencies and Jurisdictions: Although the County has a streamlined permitting process in place as required by AB 1236, the County has not developed a streamlining checklist. Several jurisdictions in the County also have not developed either their streamlining checklist or process for EVCS. MBARD has cited additional challenges between permitting agencies that need to be resolved. More time is needed to understand permitting challenges and this will be further explored if the County decides to prioritize this initiative when staff returns to the Board in one month.
Departmental Challenges Related to Best Practices Options:
• Lack of funding and staff to implement: These efforts have not been fully staffed or budgeted for this fiscal year. For example, if 40 electric vehicle chargers are installed on County sites to meet the needs of the increase in County owned EVs, it will be necessary to hire either a third party or a full-time staff member to operate, maintain, and monetize the value of the stations.
• Unclear which department should manage EVCS and Overall Decentralized nature of electricity billing: It is unclear which department should manage EVCS. Additionally, electricity billing is decentralized between departments, requiring increased staff time to coordinate and manage the project.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Depending on Board direction, staff will coordinate with the Director of HCD, the Fleet Manager, the Chief of Facilities, and the Contracts/Purchasing Manager on the best practices and will return to the board to present findings.
FINANCING:
There is no financial impact of receiving this staff report and presentation. If the Board directs staff to pursue any of these initiatives, staff will seek funding as needed.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
Leading the way in the transition to electric vehicles through the programs mentioned above provides the County of Monterey with an opportunity to reduce air pollution, improving public health and safety, reduce County costs, develop additional good paying green jobs, and integrate green infrastructure into our built environment.
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: Ashley Paulsworth, Sustainability Program Manager, Ext. 5344
Approved by: Nicholas E. Chiulos, Assistant County Administrative Officer, Ext. 5145
Attachments:
Preliminary Analysis Report
Board Referral No. # 2021.14
Attachment A: San Diego RFP for deploying EVCS on County property
Attachment B: San Francisco EV Readiness Cost Effective Plan
Attachment C: San Francisco EV Readiness Ordinance/EV Reach Code
Attachment D: Contra Costa County
Attachment E: LA County EV Purchasing Policy
Attachment F: Central Coast Community Energy FY 21-22 Energy Programs 30 - 60% Design Package
Attachment G: Initial Fleet Electrification Study
Attachment H: Monterey Bay EV Fleet Accelerator Program FINAL REPORT