California Assemblymember Tim Grayson Introduces Bill to Accelerate Local/Regional Transportation Electrification
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 10, 2022
Contact: Leora Broydo Vestel
(415) 999-4757 | leora@cal-cca.org
California Assemblymember Tim Grayson Introduces Bill to Accelerate Local/Regional Transportation Electrification
AB 1814 taps inherent strengths of Community Choice Aggregators to help California achieve greenhouse gas and pollution reduction goals
Concord, Calif. – California Assemblymember Tim Grayson (D-Concord) has introduced AB 1814, legislation that would allow Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs) to plug into state funding for programs to advance transportation electrification (TE) in California.
AB 1814 recognizes and seeks to accelerate the leading role community choice energy providers play in driving electric vehicle adoption through CCA-funded EV incentive and infrastructure programs. Over the last decade, more than 11 million utility customers in 200+ cities and counties, about a quarter of California’s population, have transitioned from Investor-Owned Utility (IOU) electric service to CCAs, local government entities that purchase electricity on behalf of the residents and businesses in their communities.
“California needs to put the pedal to the metal to limit the ravages of climate change,” said Assemblymember Grayson. “CCAs already have a track record of innovation in the transportation electrification space. We need to better leverage their unique strengths to put EV adoption on the fast track and meet our climate goals.”
What problem does AB 1814 address?
California’s transportation sector accounts for about 50 percent of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions, nearly 80 percent of nitrogen oxide pollution, and 90 percent of diesel particulate matter pollution. To decarbonize the transportation sector, California has established a goal of putting 5 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2030 and a requirement that all new passenger vehicles sold in California be zero-emission by 2035. But the state is behind in installing the more than 1.2 million public and shared chargers that are needed to achieve these objectives.
How is AB 1814 a solution?
CCAs are uniquely positioned to advance charging infrastructure in key areas of the state due to their inherent partnership and direct line of communication with local governments and close community connections.
AB 1814 removes a barrier to more widespread EV adoption by allowing CCAs to submit applications to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to receive funding to administer transportation electrification programs in their service areas. As it now stands, both IOU and CCA customers pay fees to the state to fund TE programs, but only IOUs can access those state funds to administer the programs, limiting their reach. CCAs who submit applications to the CPUC would be regulated under the same requirements as IOUs.
“We need all hands on deck to decarbonize transportation in California. CCAs must also be part of the solution,” said Beth Vaughan, executive director of the California Community Choice Association (CalCCA), the bill’s sponsor. “AB 1814 removes roadblocks to participation by a large and growing segment of California’s electricity sector and paves the way for more aggressive climate action.”
AB 1814 will have its first hearing in late March or April before the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee. Add your group to the list of AB 1814 supporters here. Sign up to receive AB 1814 news and updates here.
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About CalCCA: Launched in 2016, the California Community Choice Association (CalCCA) represents California’s community choice electricity providers before the state Legislature and at regulatory agencies. There are currently 23 operational CCA programs in California serving more than 11 million customers. For more information about CalCCA and community choice, visit www.cal-cca.org.
