The California Energy Commission (CEC) has approved a three-year $1.4 billion plan as part of the Clean Transportation Program so the state can achieve its 2025 electric vehicle charging and hydrogen refueling goals. The plan should continue enabling the state’s zero-emission vehicle infrastructure build-out so that the targets set in Governor Gavin Newsom’s executive order for phasing out the sale of new fossil-fueled vehicles by 2035 are in fact met.
Nearly 80 per cent of the funding will go to either charging stations or hydrogen refueling stations. The remaining portion of the funding will be allocated to in-state ZEV manufacturing as well as workforce training and development, along with near- and zero-emission fuel production. Priority has also been put on infrastructure for both medium and heavy-duty vehicles. This includes infrastructure for 1,000 emission-free school buses, 1000 zero-emission transit buses, and 1,150 emission-free drayage trucks.
Broken down further, this has been allocated into the following segments:
• $314 million for light-duty electric vehicle charging infrastructure
• $690 million for medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicle infrastructure (both battery-electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles)
• $77 million for hydrogen refueling infrastructure
• $25 million for zero-and near-zero-carbon fuel production and supply
• $244 million for ZEV manufacturing
• $15 million for workforce training and development
The Californian government has said that the funds will become available over the next two years after which they will be distributed to selected projects through a mix of competitive funding solicitations and direct funding agreements. The CEC also announced that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) will consider what they are calling a complimentary proposal for $1.5 billion in clean transportation incentives. This initiative will include investments in consumer vehicle rebates and heavy-duty and off-road equipment.
The Clean Transportation Program is one of the first transportation-focused funding efforts established to help advance the state’s climate change policies. Now in its 13th year, the program has provided more than $1 billion to projects across the state covering a broad spectrum of alternative fuels and technologies.
You can reach to news at here