Zero-emission vehicle infrastructure expanding on the Central Coast
Incentives extended, electric vehicle charger funding eligibility expanded, $12-million in funding approved
–Central Coast Community Energy (CCCE) today announced the upcoming availability of $12 million in funding for DC fast chargers and Level 2 EV charging stations through the California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project’s (CALeVIP’s) South Central Coast Incentive Project (SCCIP) which promotes easy access to zero-emission vehicle infrastructure. SCCIP roughly estimates to fund more than 1,000 chargers.
CALeVIP is a first-come, first-served program providing qualified rebates for the purchase and installation of charging stations with an emphasis on, and extra funding for disadvantaged communities. Applicants are eligible for up to $80,000 per DC fast charger and up to $6,000 per Level 2 charging station at an array of location types, from gas stations and grocery stores to workplaces and multi-unit dwellings. The site must be located within San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara or Ventura counties and the applicant must be the site owner. Applicants are encouraged to join the scheduled SCCIP webinar that includes a Q&A to learn more about the project on Thursday, July 15, 10 a.m. – noon Pacific Time ahead of the July 27, 2021 program launch. Funding is expected to become provisionally reserved quickly. SCCIP is implemented by the Center for Sustainable Energy for the California Energy Commission and is presented in partnership with Central Coast Community Energy, Clean Power Alliance, SLO County Air Pollution Control District, Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, San Luis Obispo Council of Governments
and Ventura County Air Pollution Control District.
“Central Coast Community Energy is proud to partner with CALeVIP a second time to ensure our entire Central Coast service area receives the public EV (electric vehicle) charging stations needed to accelerate EV adoption and broaden charger accessibility. CCCE along with CALeVIP and the valued partners of the South Central Coast Incentive Project together have made $19 million in funding available for chargers and installation right here in our service area,” shares Central Coast Community Energy CEO, Tom Habashi.
This is Central Coast Community Energy’s second partnership with CALeVIP. The first project made $7 million in funding available for Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz Counties and quickly received $10 million in excess applications. CCCE is proud to again partner with CALeVIP to deliver more funding to its new service area in the Southern Central Coast.
“With service for customers in Carpinteria, Goleta and southern Santa Barbara County beginning in October, the South Central Coast Incentive Project will bring immediate community investments and build off a lot of great work aimed at reducing transportation related emissions along the Central Coast,” shared Santa Barbara County Supervisor and CCCE Policy Board Vice Chair Das Williams. “As an agency, CCCE is moving the needle on reducing emissions and creating new renewable energy resources that benefit not just the whole state but our planet.”
In addition to funding EV infrastructure, CCCE’s current Electrify Your Ride program has to date received 196 qualified applications including 23 income-qualified customer applications. Following news that the state funded Clean Vehicle Rebate Project became oversubscribed, CCCE decided to extend Electrify Your Ride through the end of its fiscal year, Sept. 30, 2021. The program extension allows funding to coincide with Monterey Bay Air Resources District’s (MBARD’s) EV Incentive Program available for Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties that went live July 1.
CCCE’s Electrify Your Ride customers may receive EV incentives from both agencies along with other available regional or state incentives should they qualify. Since newer EVs have improved charge range, pricing and incentives, the final hurdle CCCE customers have expressed is a lack of local charging stations. CCCE is also accelerating access to chargers through energy program funding in addition to the SCCIP CALeVIP EV charger funding. The local energy program called Charge Your Ride incentivizes EV charging stations and installation for residential, commercial and public agency customers.
“As customers become more comfortable with the idea and benefits of owning or leasing an EV, their final question prior to switching remains, ‘how and where can I conveniently charge my EV?’” shares Central Coast Community Energy Director of Energy Programs Jon Griesser. “CCCE is doing its part to help accelerate EV adoption by helping customers install charging
equipment at home and funding the installation of publicly accessible charging infrastructure throughout our service area.”
CCCE’s Charge Your Ride EV charger rebate has received 32 applications including 2 income-qualified customers. Charge Your Ride also experienced some notable changes since the program launched, expanding eligibility from home EV chargers for residential customers to now include commercial, industrial, agricultural and public agency customers and sites. CCCE’s Charge Your Ride program covers CCCE’s entire service area and is aimed at homes, workplaces and commercial fleets while the CALeVIP Southern Central Coast Incentive Project is aimed at public charging stations within the counties of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura.
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