California Air Resources Board

Summary

Would have required the California Energy Commission, in consultation with CARB and the California Public Utilities Commission, to conduct an assessment, as specified, of the electric and hydrogen infrastructure needed to meet the deadlines in Executive Order No. N-79-20 for the transition of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles to zero-emission vehicles. The bill would also have required CARB to incorporate a strategic plan to meet the deadlines in Executive Order No. N-79-20 for the transition of medium- and heavy-duty fleets to zero-emission vehicles and the various related assessments as specified into its Mobile Source Strategy.

View full bill text here

Governor’s Veto Message

To the Members of the California State Senate:

I am returning Senate Bill 493 without my signature.

This bill would expand the scope of several assessments and strategies developed by the California Energy Commission (CEC) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) related to zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) infrastructure.

However, this bill results in costs to the CEC's primary operating fund, which is currently facing an ongoing structural deficit, and thus exacerbates the fund's structural imbalance.

Additionally, many provisions of this bill are currently being incorporated into relevant ZEV infrastructure planning processes at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), in consultation with both the CEC and CARB. At best, this bill's provisions may duplicate these efforts and, at worst, may complicate this work and lead to misaligned interagency work streams.

We must ensure that the CPUC, CEC and CARB utilize their core competencies and focus their expertise and existing resources on improving ZEV infrastructure planning processes. This bill falls short of accomplishing this goal.

For these reasons, I cannot sign this bill.

Sincerely,

Gavin Newsom

View Governor’s veto message here