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Consider adopting Administrative Policy A-4 on the use of County Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger Stations; Conduct a noticed public hearing on a proposed fee schedule for the General Services Department - Fleet for EV charging and consider adopting an EV charger station fee schedule by resolution adding Exhibit XXII to Chapter 11 of the Solano County Code; and Consider adopting a resolution to rescind Traffic Order 147, Amendment No. 7 and replace it with Traffic Order No. 147, Amendment No. 8
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Published Notice Required? Yes __X__ No _ __
Public Hearing Required? Yes __X__ No __ _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Department of General Services recommends that the Board of Supervisors:
1. Adopt Administrative Policy A-4 on the use of County Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger Stations; and
2. Conduct a noticed public hearing on a proposed fee schedule for the General Services Department - Fleet for EV charging and consider adopting an EV charger station fee schedule by resolution adding Exhibit XXII to Chapter 11 of the Solano County Code; and
3. Consider adopting a resolution rescinding Traffic Order 147, Amendment No. 7 and replacing it with Traffic Order No. 147, Amendment No. 8.
SUMMARY:
The purpose of the recommended policy and resolutions is to authorize the County Administrator to establish the Solano County Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger Station Use Policy (Attachment A), set fees for charging EV’s, and establish the necessary enforcement language.
DISCUSSION:
Regulations:
On September 23, 2020, Governor Newsom signed Executive Order N-79-20 with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting the use of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). Key points of the executive order include the goals of 100% of in-state sales of new passenger cars and trucks to be zero emission by 2035, 100% of medium and heavy-duty vehicles in California to be zero-emission by 2045, where feasible, and 100% of drayage trucks to be zero-emission by 2035. Infrastructure improvement goals include the development and construction of ZEV fueling stations and expanding access to ZEV charging for all Californians, especially in low-income and disadvantaged communities.
The California Air Resource Board (CARB) has implemented several regulations to support the transition to zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles. These regulations include the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) regulation that requires manufacturers to sell an increasing percentage of zero-emission trucks and vans and targets 55% of Class 2b-3 truck sales to be zero emission by 2035. The Innovative Clean Transit (ICT) Regulation mandates that public transit agencies transition to 100% zero-emission bus fleets by 2040. The third regulation is the Zero-Emission Airport Shuttle Regulation which requires airport shuttle operators to transition to 100% zero-emission shuttles by 2035.
The combination of Governor Newsom’s Executive Order and the CARB regulations sets ambitious targets to transition to zero-emission vehicles across various sectors, ensuring California remains at the forefront of the clean energy movement. To comply with these regulations, Solano County Fleet is transitioning to Electric Vehicles (EVs) and Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles (PHEVs) for appropriate Fleet vehicles and therefore has a growing need for EV charger stations. Concurrently, public demand for EV charger stations is increasing as more residents acquire electric vehicles.
Technology, Infrastructure and Funding:
The technology for EV charger stations is quickly evolving and to date there are three levels of charger stations.
Level I chargers require a 120V power supply (standard household outlet) and have charging speeds of approximately 20 hours of charging for 100 miles of range. The best use for Level I chargers would be to charge Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) with small battery packs or overnight charging at home. Level I chargers are not suitable for public or fast charging needs.
Level II chargers, which require a 240V power supply, are generally able to fully charge an EV vehicle in eight to ten hours. The best use for Level II chargers would be to charge EVs at home, in the workplace, and at public charger stations when charging speed is not a requirement.
Level III chargers, also known as a DC Fast Charger (DCFC), require a 480V three-phase power supply and are generally able to provide 60-100 miles of range in 20 minutes of charging. Level III chargers are ideal for public fast-charging stations and fleet operations that require quick turnaround times. In approximately 30 to 45 minutes, a DCFC can fully charge an EV.
Grant funding for EV charger stations is readily available through federal and state avenues. In researching the available grants and planning out an EV charging network, several challenges were identified.
Most grants exclude the cost of infrastructure upgrades. The infrastructure costs can consist of purchasing new independent transformers, transmission lines and separate meters depending on the location of the EV charger and are cost prohibitive. Most of the currently available grant funding does not cover infrastructure costs and it has been a challenge to find the appropriate funding. On June 25, 2024, a grant for infrastructure through Solano Transit Authority (STA) was approved by the Board for $250,000.
A necessary part of installing charger stations includes the requirement to provide ADA accessible chargers which requires changes to parking areas, which are not covered by grants. General Services is absorbing these costs into their various project budgets.
Additionally, most federal and state grants require the EV chargers to be open and available to the public during business hours. This prohibits the County from designating the chargers purchased through grants as County Fleet specific and often limits installation locations to publicly accessible parking areas.
An additional challenge is the on-going management of the EV charger station network which includes operation, maintenance, and payment management. These costs are generally excluded from grant funding. Currently, the County does not have the expertise to manage and govern the use of the EV charging network nor does it have a software interface for fee collection.
Partnership and Development:
To address the growing need for an EV charging network and assistance with the challenges faced, Solano County Fleet consulted with Solano Transit Authority (STA), which has partnered with EVCS to develop a charging network. EVCS, a national leader in EV charger station development, collaborates with government agencies to build EV charging networks using federal and state rebates, grants, and other incentives, thereby eliminating up-front costs. EVCS has a robust portfolio and currently manages 220 locations with 1,266 chargers.
Following discussions with STA and the City of Fairfield, who both collaborate with EVCS, Solano County entered into several Site Host Agreements with EVCS to build 26 Level II chargers and 26 Level III chargers. Currently, EVCS has secured $422,500 in grant funds on behalf of Solano County. This will not cover the cost of installing all 52 charging ports and additional funding is needed. As of now, EVCS is installing four DCFC ports (Level III chargers) and four Level II charging ports for the County. As additional funding is secured, continued build out of installations will occur. As stated above, the costs of infrastructure continue to impact the project.
Additionally, Solano County was awarded a grant from PG&E to fully install four Level III chargers at the Fairfield Library which was completed by EVCS.
Additional Installations:
As part of the ongoing Energy Conservation Project, General Services has partnered with Engie to install 54 Level II charging ports. Engie secured $406,000 in charger port grants, which do not cover the overall design, installation, or infrastructure costs which will come as an additional expense to the County. Engie will utilize the grant funding of $3,000 per port for the 44 eligible contracted ports (infrastructure included in the project), which totals approximately $136,000. The remaining grant funds of $270,000 are still available to the County to install additional ports if the County can secure additional funding to cover the infrastructure cost.
Additionally, eight existing Level II charging ports, (six from the CAC Parking Garage and two from 1119 E. Monte Vista) will be repurposed for County Fleet-specific use, with final locations still being determined. Fleet and Resource Management have also invested in an additional six Level II solar charging ports exclusively for County Fleet use.
The total number of planned public-facing EV charging ports is 110 to be installed as funding is finalized. In addition, there are 14 ports designated for County use only, and the possibility of an additional 90 ports if infrastructure funding can be secured. Please see Attachment D for a list of planned charging port locations.
All public facing installations will utilize EVCS’s equipment and EVCS will manage the chargers and payment interface for consistency of experience for users across the County. There are ongoing discussions regarding EVCS also performing maintenance for all charging locations regardless of installer.
Operation and Maintenance Contract:
Solano County has entered into a five-year contract with EVCS for the operation and maintenance of the EV charging network. EVCS will handle utility costs, billing, maintenance of the EV chargers installed by them and a separate management agreement for the chargers installed by Engie and PG&E. All contracts provide revenue sharing with the County. At the end of the contract, the County will have the option to extend the contract or assume the operation and maintenance responsibilities.
In addition to the operation and maintenance of the EV chargers, there is a requirement that the County’s Department of Agriculture’s Division of Weights and Measures perform routine testing of all publicly accessible chargers.
Usage Policy:
The EV charger stations will be available to Solano County Fleet vehicles, employees, and the general public. It is recommended that a Solano County EV Charger Station Use Policy (Attachment A) be established to define the use of EV charger stations by County and non-County vehicle operators and will apply to all Solano County-operated EV charger stations within Solano County. In order to ensure maximum availability of the EV charging ports, the Use Policy will set the non-County-owned vehicle use time limit to two hours. County-owned vehicles will charge after business hours, when possible, and the two-hour limit will not apply. If County-owned vehicles must charge during business hours, the two-hour limit will apply. Vehicles parked longer than the established time limit or parked in an EV space but not actively charging will be subject to citation and idling fees. The Use Policy prohibits charging a vehicle in a non-designated charging stall, and any vehicle parked in or blocking an EV charging port may be towed at the owner’s expense.
As part of finalizing the Use Policy and prior to implementation, staff will notify all applicable bargaining unit representatives and will provide an opportunity to meet on the policy.
Traffic Order 147:
Traffic Order No. 147, Amendment 7 (Attachment C) regulates parking on County property. For consistency and completeness, it is recommended the Traffic Order be rescinded and replaced with Traffic Order No. 147, Amendment No. 8, to add provisions relating to the parking of EVs. Vehicle Code section 22511 authorizes the Board of Supervisors to adopt a traffic order designating stalls or spaces for the exclusive purpose of charging and parking a vehicle connected for electric charging purposes and enabling the Sheriff’s Office to remove/tow vehicles from such a designated stall that is not connected for electric charging purposes.
Establishment of Fees:
A public hearing must be conducted to establish and adopt fees. The attached resolution (Attachments B.1 and B.2 Exhibit XXII) establishes the fee at 100% of the current rate charged by the managing vendor (currently EVCS). This fee is charged universally over all of the vendors installations and will be consistent with the charging fees in the surrounding area. The vendor fee is currently set at $0.39 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) for Level II chargers and $0.49 cents per kWh for Level III chargers.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
EV charging fees are independent of any other established parking fees. The BOS will set charging fees annually through the BOS approved schedule. It is recommended the BOS set the rate at 100% of the current rate charged by the managing vendor (currently EVCS). As of this report, EVCS’s fee schedule is $0.39 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) for Level II chargers and $0.49 cents per kWh for Level III chargers. EVCS has agreed to pay $0.07 cents per kWh to Solano County for the duration of the five-year Site Host Agreement. After five years, Solano County will have the option of extending the Site Host Agreement or taking over the operation and maintenance of the EV charger stations.
Any and all fees in excess of base operating cost related to use of the EV charger stations will be waived when utilized by Solano County Fleet vehicles.
The development of policies such as the Solano County EV Charger Station Use Policy are included in the FY2024/25 Working Budget. The costs associated with preparing the agenda item are nominal and absorbed by the department’s FY2024/25 Working Budget.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board may opt not to adopt the resolutions and/or user policy; however, this is not recommended. Given the limited availability of EV charging spaces and the speed with which they will be coming online, it is crucial to regulate their use to ensure maximum accessibility for all users.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The County’s Administrator’s Office, County Counsel, and Sheriff’s Department have assisted with the development and review of the resolutions and policy. Additionally, the California Air Resources Board, Solano Transit Authority, City of Fairfield, EVCS, and Engie have all been involved in developing the parameters of the policy.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION