California Approves $1.4 Billion Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Plan

The California Energy Commission on Dec. 11 approved a $1.4 billion plan to invest in zero-emission vehicle infrastructure in the next four years through the state’s Clean Transportation Program. The plan, aimed to help install electric vehicle charging systems for nearly 17,000 light-duty EVs, will distribute the funding through competitive grants. The funding will support initiatives such as rebates and incentive programs for businesses, organizations, and underserved communities.

Currently, more than 152,000 public and shared private chargers are installed in California. The plan will supplement other state and federal funding programs to accelerate zero-emission vehicle deployment and help California achieve 250,000 chargers in the next few years.

The investment is a part of the $48 billion California Climate Commitment, which allocates over $10 billion for ZEVs and related infrastructure. The Clean Transportation Program, first established in 2007, has invested $2.3 billion in projects to expand ZEV infrastructure, and advanced vehicle technology and alternative fuels.

The program dedicated $100 million via the Energy Infrastructure Incentives for Zero-Emission Commercial Vehicles Project for truck and bus charging and refueling projects. The initiative has also allocated funding to develop 96 public hydrogen fueling stations, of which 44 stations are in use today.

As part of the Clean Transportation Program, California launched the Zero-Emissions School Bus and Infrastructure Program, or ZESBI, in September. ZESBI is a $500 million initiative to put 1,000 zero-emission school buses on the road.

Accelerating the development of charging infrastructure is crucial for California as the state has seen rapid growth in ZEV sales in the last year. This year, California achieved the highest sales for the first quarter with 102,507 ZEV sales. In Q3 of 2024, 26 percent of new car purchases were ZEVs.