The California Energy Commission (CEC) has approved $1.9 billion in funding for new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and hydrogen refueling stations in the state. The funds, which are part of the $48 billion ‘California Climate Commitment', will be used to build infrastructure for zero-emission cars, trucks, and buses over the next four years.
The approved funds will support the installation of 40,000 new charging stations and hydrogen refueling stations in California. More than $10 billion from the California Climate Commitment is earmarked for zero-emission vehicles and their infrastructure. The state has also received additional funding from the Biden-Harris Administration for clean transportation, according to the CEC's announcement.
The funding will be distributed through competitive grants over the next four years, with at least half of the funds targeted to benefit priority populations. Eligible applicants include companies, non-profit organizations, tribes, and public institutions. $1.02 billion is reserved for commercial vehicle charging and fueling infrastructure, $658 million for passenger vehicle charging infrastructure, and $130 million for charging and fueling infrastructure at ports, among other allocations.
“We need to make sure that this is zero-emission refueling infrastructure for everybody,” said Patty Monahan, CEC's Lead Commissioner for Transportation. “By investing a bulk of funds to benefit low-income and disadvantaged communities, the state is making sure communities most in need have better access to chargers and less pollution from trucks and buses.”
The CEC estimates that California will have around 7.1 million electric vehicles by 2030, requiring one million chargers. Additionally, the state will need 114,500 chargers for the expected 155,000 electric trucks and buses. By 2035, these numbers are projected to increase to 15.2 million EVs requiring 2.1 million charging stations, as well as 377,000 electric trucks and buses requiring 264,000 chargers.
The California Climate Commitment, which includes these funding allocations, is expected to accelerate the adoption of electric mobility in the state. In 2023, electric vehicles accounted for 25 percent of new cars sold in California. Currently, there are nearly 94,000 public and publicly accessible charging stations installed in the state. The CEC did not provide information on the coverage of hydrogen refueling stations for commercial vehicles in its announcement. However, earlier this week, Shell announced the closure of all seven of its hydrogen refueling stations for passenger cars in California.
