The California Energy Commission (CEC) has approved $2.5 million in new grants through its Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program (ARFVTP).
According to the CEC's agenda document, CALSTART, a clean-transportation nonprofit, will receive a $1,194,659 grant to launch, manage and sustain the San Joaquin Valley Clean Transportation Center.
Through this center, the CEC says CALSTART will promote increased acceptance and deployment of alternative fuel vehicles in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV), perform outreach to the public and key stakeholders, and advocate for policy decisions and economic development strategies beneficial to the unique needs of the transportation sector in the SJV consistent with state air-quality and climate objectives.
The CEC also has approved an agreement with the California Air Resources Board for a $650,000 contract to collect and analyze longitudinal, spatial, in-use vehicle data, including electric vehicle (EV) miles traveled from a variety of plug-in EVs.
The CEC says it approved $300,000 for the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development to fund an ombudsman for an additional two years to help ease permitting of hydrogen refueling stations and EV charging stations.
The City of Oakland will receive a $170,324 grant to provide education and training, assessment and recommendations for permitting and inspection best practices to streamline future implementation of the Bay Area Plug-in Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan for the cities of Oakland and Tiburon.
The City of Palm Springs will receive a $57,500 grant to install directional signage, remote access and interactive kiosks mapping EV charging infrastructure in the city.
Furthermore, the Southern California Association of Governments will receive a $125,181 grant to address the challenges facing EV charging for existing multi-unit dwellings (MUDs). The CEC says this analysis will be used to update the Southern California PEV Readiness Plan, focusing on how to maximize MUD charging implementation efforts in the densest cities in the Los Angeles County region.
According to the CEC, its ARFVTP provides as much as $100 million annually toward innovative transportation and fuel technologies that help California meet its energy, clean-air and climate-change goals.
