Dive Brief:

California's three large investor-owned utilities filed plans for a $1 billion rollout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, including expanded fleets, tens of thousands of charge points and residential rebates, Bloomberg reports.

Transportation accounts for about 40% of greenhouse gas emissions in the state, and California wants to reduce emissions 40% below 1990 levels by 2030.

Southern California Edison's $570 million proposal is the largest, and includes a focus on funding for medium- and heavy-duty vehicle charging infrastructure as well as new rate designs.

Dive Insight:

Taken together, plans developed by SCE, Pacific Gas and Electric and San Diego Gas & Electric represent an impressive push to further electrify the state's transportation sector. California already leads the nation, with more than 100,000 vehicles on the roads.

SCE President Ron Nichols said the filing "lays out a clear plan to accelerate the adoption of electric transportation, which is critical to California achieving its climate change and environmental goals."

The utility said that alongside a push for passenger vehicle adoption, its proposal was "tailored to Southern California" where 40% of the goods entering the United States arrive via ports and road. Projects include funding for commercial and industrial vehicle charging infrastructure, with the utility installing infrastructure on a customer’s site and providing a rebate toward the purchase of the charging station.

SCE said the program would support trucks buses, forklifts and other off-road equipment.

The utility also said it will be considering options with the South Coast Air Quality Management District and other stakeholders "for a zero-emission freight movement program" for transporting freight from the Port of Long Beach to inland distribution hubs.

PG&E's plan calls for about $250 million in investment in electrification, also with a push towards fleets that could include including school buses, transit agencies and delivery trucks.

The utility said it wants to "complement state and privately funded fast charger deployments with new electric infrastructure." The utility's bid to own charging infrastructure was approved in December, allowing it to own about one-third of 7,500 electric vehicle charging points planned for installation.

PG&E said its five-year $22 million recommendation includes offering a "significant rebate toward the purchase of a fast charger for sites in disadvantaged communities."

The utility also said it would explore new uses for vehicle electrification through five, one-year projects that include charging for residential customers, commercial smart vehicle charging, while requesting third parties to submit potential electrification projects to the company. Those projects have an overall budget of $20 million.

SDG&E's charging proposal would run about $240 million, and includes charging stations installed at the San Diego International Airport and other locations for delivery fleets and taxi or ride share vehicles. Other projects would allow for installation of up to 90,000 charging stations at single family homes throughout the company’s service area, and installation of grid-integrated charging stations for almost 100 fleet delivery vehicles at a half dozen businesses.