Electric Vehicle Infrastructure in Solano County

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– Solano Transportation Authority (STA) Board members commit to programs to increase the number of electric vehicle charging stations in their jurisdictions at a rate sufficient to meet Executive Order N-79-20.

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target of 100 percent light-duty ZEV sales by 2035, as well as other key climate and air quality goals. C. Solano County The CEC data show that at the end of 2020, Solano County had 5,139 light duty ZEVs on the road, 99.8% of which were EVs. In 2021, the number of EVs increased by 2,074 to a total of 7,213 EVs. The total number of shared public and private chargers in Solano County at the end of 2020 was 471. The Assessment Report modeling process resulted in projections of infrastructure needed to support nearly 8 million ZEVs by 2030, and is the trajectory needed to achieve the Executive Order N-79-20 target of 100 percent light-duty ZEV sales by 2035. The graph below shows, by year, the projected needs for chargers in Solano County for the years 2020 through 2035. As noted above, the number of public and shared private chargers in Solano County at the end of 2020 was 471. This is significantly fewer than the projected need of 1,648. 25000 22535 20738 20000 18820 16760 14778 15000 12612 10876 10000 9094 7493 6250 5020 5000 3949 3266 2559 2062 1648 0 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 Source: CEC and National Renewable Energy Laboratory 1. Solano Transportation Authority The Solano Transportation Authority’s Board of Directors includes one county supervisor and the mayors of all seven cities in the county. In 2015, the Solano Transportation Authority (STA) received a grant from the California Energy Commission to prepare the Solano Electric Vehicle (EV) Transition Program. The goal of the program was to identify and overcome barriers to the deployment of electric vehicles in Solano County. STA contracted with consulting firms, ICF in Sacramento and Fehr & Peers in Walnut Creek, to prepare the report which recommended several solutions to overcome barriers to the adoption and use of EVs. These included: - public outreach and education, - establishment of common “trailblazing” signage to point drivers to existing charging stations. - a streamlined permit process for installing charging stations, - 10 - sregrahC fo rebmuN Solano County Chargers Needed by Year Year The report also included analysis of potential future charging station locations throughout the county based on predicted vehicle numbers and on the existing charging station network at that time. It was designed to create guidance for the transition to EV usage tailored to Solano County, based on regional conditions. Many maps and charts of charging station locations (as of 2017) and recommended future locations were included as well as clarifications of a variety of steps that could be taken to improve the county’s EV readiness. On April 11, 2018, the STA Board adopted the Solano EV Program Final Report. The 2018 Report is still available on the STA website (STA.ca.gov), and although the link on the STA website is titled “Solano EV Program Final Report” the report itself is labeled as Draft. Interviews with STA staff conducted by the Civil Grand Jury confirmed that it is final. When viewed online, the reader can connect to information via web links to building codes and permitting departments. Some of the links in the Report are no longer valid. a. Public Outreach and Education Activity One stated goal of the STA EV Transition Program is to make it easier for those who want to own an electric vehicle to find resources and places to charge. The SolanoEV.org website was created as part of the EV Transition Program with the intention of being a primary resource related to electric vehicles for local governments, installers, site owners, and drivers. This website was created in 2018, but is no longer accessible. STA does not have direct authority to enforce measures in the EV Transition Plrogram. The Civil Grand Jury found that not all cities are using this plan for its intended purpose. b. Trailblazer Signage Activity Another goal of the Report was to site potential locations for trailblazer signs. As part of their contract for the report, Fehr & Peers identified 76 potential locations in which to deploy trailblazer signs directing drivers to charging stations in each of Solano County’s seven cities. They also provided to STA a document that detailed all sign and mounting specifications required for installation. The plan was to have some trailblazing signs installed before the end of May 2018. As of 2022, there is no evidence of progress on that goal. c. Streamlining Permit Activity Recognizing the important role of the permitting and inspection process in the expansion of charging infrastructure in the state, California legislators passed a law in 2015 requiring local governments to streamline the permitting process. AB 1236 required communities with populations greater than 200,000 to adopt ordinances that expedite the permitting process for EV charging stations by September 30, 2016. As the only jurisdiction in Solano County meeting this population minimum, the Solano County Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance on September 13, 2016, adding section 26 to Chapter 6.3 - Building Standards and Codes of the Solano County Code to provide an expedited permitting process for electric vehicle charging stations. All other jurisdictions were required to adopt an ordinance by September 30, 2017. AB 970 was adopted in 2021 and added specific binding timelines to review periods defined in AB 1236. The required ordinance must include specific streamlining elements. Local governments must provide a permitting checklist; installation projects that meet all requirements on the checklist must be eligible for expedited review. In addition to developing streamlined procedures, permitting offices must provide the permitting materials on the government’s website and must allow for electronic submittal of the application materials online. There are a number of templates for the required ordinance and permitting checklist available online. Not all Solano County jurisdictions have complied with AB 1236 requirements. A review of The Permitting Olympics webpage sponsored by the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development shows that only Solano County is completely streamlined. Although not listed on the webpage, Benicia is also fully streamlined. The City of Fairfield has adopted the required ordinance, and has indicated it is in the process of completing a checklist with publication anticipated by the end of May 2022. No other cities have met the requirements of AB 1236. 2. Grant Writing STA has developed a partnership with a vendor, Electric Vehicle Charging Solutions, Inc. to provide turnkey installation of charging stations in the county. One area of expertise mentioned in the Civil Grand Jury’s interview with STA personnel which made this company appealing is its grant writing ability. There are a number of grant opportunities and incentives available from utility companies, Air Quality Management Districts, and other agencies. Successful grant writing can be time consuming, and city staff members do not always have sufficient time to undertake this facet of EV charger installations. V. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FINDING 1 – There will not be enough electric vehicle charging stations in Solano County to support the State’s goals for electric vehicles identified in Executive Order N-79-20. RECOMMENDATION 1 – Solano Transportation Authority (STA) Board members commit to programs to increase the number of electric vehicle charging stations in their jurisdictions at a rate sufficient to meet Executive Order N-79-20. FINDING 2 – In 2018, the STA adopted an Electric Vehicle Transition Program (EVTP) and the website (solanoev.org) for Solano County The website is no longer working which is of no value; the EVTP is no longer current, minimizing its value and applicability. RECOMMENDATION 2 – STA update the EVTP and its website (solanoev.org) to provide accurate and current information for Solano County residents. FINDING 3 – In the 2018 EVTP, the STA Board approved a plan to install trailblazing signs to identify locations of electric vehicle charging stations. As of 2022, there is no evidence of progress on that plan. RECOMMENDATION 3 – STA Board work with jurisdictions and agencies to install signage denoting the location of existing charging stations and to include appropriate signage as a component of future installations. FINDING 4 – The 2018 STA EVTP was intended to serve as regional guidance for the transition to electric vehicles, but this guidance has not been effectively communicated. RECOMMENDATION 4A – STA increase staff time available for implementation and oversight of the Electric Vehicle Transition Plan. RECOMMENDATION 4B – STA add dedicated grant writing staff to bring this function in-house rather than relying on third-party vendors. FINDING 5 – AB 1236 and AB 970 require all California cities and counties to develop an expedited, streamlined permitting process for electric vehicle charging stations. Not all jurisdictions in Solano County have complied. RECOMMENDATION 5 – All Solano County jurisdictions comply with streamlined permitting requirements, including adoption of an ordinance and checklist as required by AB 1236 and AB 970. REQUIRED RESPONSES Solano County Board of Supervisors (Findings 1 and 3) Cities (Findings 1,3, and 5): Vacaville Vallejo Suisun City Rio Vista Dixon Fairfield Solano Transportation Authority Board (All Findings) COURTESY COPIES Pacific Gas & Electric Company Electric Vehicle Charging Solutions, Inc.

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– STA update the EVTP and its website (solanoev.org) to provide accurate and current information for Solano County residents.

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– STA Board work with jurisdictions and agencies to install signage denoting the location of existing charging stations and to include appropriate signage as a component of future installations.

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– STA increase staff time available for implementation and oversight of the Electric Vehicle Transition Plan.

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– STA add dedicated grant writing staff to bring this function in-house rather than relying on third-party vendors.

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– All Solano County jurisdictions comply with streamlined permitting requirements, including adoption of an ordinance and checklist as required by AB 1236 and AB 970.