December 1, 2023 - ZEV Equity Task Force Meeting Summary

Welcome and Opening Remarks

The ZEV Equity Task Force brings together leaders in zero-emission transportation such as environmental justice advocates, automakers, state government, and other key organizations to develop strategies to expand communities’ access to ZEVs and zero-emission mobility.

The ZEV Equity Task Force has been formed in response to direction from the California Air Resources Board members through the language in the Advanced Clean Cars II Regulations Resolution 22-12 to “expand low-income and disadvantaged communities’ access to ZEVs and zero-emission mobility.”

Task Force Goal: The primary objective of the Task Force is to expedite the deployment of ZEVs and charging infrastructure in low-income and disadvantaged communities throughout the state. We plan to accomplish this by forming partnerships that lead to tangible projects on the ground, ultimately increasing access to ZEVs and zero emission mobility.

Resetting the Stage

Report Back on Workgroup Progress

One outcome from the first ZEV Equity Task Force meeting was the formation of three workgroups to work on specific project areas. The workgroups include the Infrastructure Workgroup, Community Mobility Projects and Incentives Workgroup, and the Outreach and Education Workgroup.

These workgroups were formed to dive deeper into concepts that were proposed during the May 30 Task Force meeting. So far, we have convened 10 workgroup meetings, and are pleased to report the active involvement of around 20 participants engaged at each of these meetings.

These sessions have proven to be instrumental in fostering open dialogue to address barriers to ZEV deployment in disadvantaged communities, and to think about ways to address those challenges. Some learnings from these workgroups to date include:

  • While the goal of the ZEV Equity Task Force is to foster partnerships to develop and implement concrete, on-the-ground projects, we learned that the topics of greatest interest to the workgroups were in a very early and high-level concept phase and significant work lies ahead to turn some concepts into tangible projects.
  • We also learned that everyone enters this space from a different starting point, with different perspectives and levels of information. To bring workgroup members together and create a shared foundation for action, a lot of effort in these early workgroup meetings focused on deepening understanding about the potential opportunities to advance the concept, bringing in experts where appropriate. This work has helped to ensure that all participants have the background knowledge to effectively guide the efforts dedicated to a specific project.
  • Third, as we collectively learned more about the priorities of the workgroups, we learned that several concepts are being discussed in other venues.  To avoid duplicating efforts and make best use of everyone’s time, one of our goals is to help form stronger partnerships between priority concepts and their champions emerging through the Task Force and the other agencies and efforts that are best positioned to advance that work. A key example is connecting automakers with community groups looking to install chargers and expand their clean mobility programs.
  • Finally, one central recurring theme that emerged across the workgroup discussions centers around the need to grow and adapt California's workforce to accelerate the adoption of ZEVs. This is why the breakouts included in this meeting will focus on advancing projects and ideas centered around workforce development specifically.

Overview: Summary of Breakout groups and projects from May 2023 ZEV Equity Task Force meeting

  • Clean Mobility Projects and Incentives Workgroup
    • Workgroup next steps: For our next workgroup meetings, we’ll focus on consolidating vehicle needs for community mobility programs, but we also plan to explore suitable venues to further discuss the other projects, particularly topics of interest like the streamlining of incentives and rebates. 
  • Infrastructure Workgroup
    • Workgroup next steps: The Energy Commission will present on their efforts to date, including:
      • efforts to update the ZEV Infrastructure Plan, and
      • on their Community Benefits Framework, which is being developed to determine how the Energy Commission will meet its new statutory requirement of 50% investment in disadvantaged and low-income communities. 
  • Outreach and Education Workgroup
    • Workgroup next steps: At the next workgroup meeting, staff will walk through the different projects and discuss venues that the projects can move forward in.
      • Staff will also provide a brief overview of the Proposed Electrify America Cycle 4 Investment Plan that will be heard by the Board on January 25-26. Electrify America is allocating up to $500K of their ZEV Equitable Access Program funding for initiatives proposed by the ZEV Equity Task Force, specifically those from the Outreach and Education Workgroup. Once the Board approves the plan, the work can begin.
    • If you are interested in participating in these smaller workgroups, please reach out to the CARB team at zevequity@arb.ca.gov, and we will send you a calendar invite to participate in upcoming meetings.

Agency Updates

  • ZEV Market Development Strategy, Heather Hickerson, Assistant Deputy Director, ZEV Market Development, GO-Biz
  • CARB’s FY 2023-24 Funding Plan, Stephanie Parent, CARB Mobile Sources Control Division

 Zero-Emission Vehicles and Workforce Development – Breakout Overview

  • Session Overview and Program Updates
    • CARB Projects Overview, Desirey Wilson
    • CEC Projects Overview, Larry Rillera
      • Workforce conversations in this space must think about and focus on how communities can participate in manufacturing process.
      • ZEV workforce pilot project
        • Build in communities based on what their needs are such as training, partnership with employers.
      • Fresno City College dual enrollment program
        • High schools to receive credits for college.
        • 52 ZEV high schools (light-duty and heavy-duty)
          • Built on strategy looking at schools that have free/reduced priced meals, minority served institutions, CalEnviroScreen
          • 2200 students/year
      • Automotive repair - emissions oversight program called Cars for School
    • Workforce Development Overview, Jannet Malig, Statewide Director Advanced Transportation & Logistics, California Community Colleges
      • 115 community colleges in CA
      • As we enter the breakout rooms, let’s keep in mind there is a shortage of technicians and therefore an opportunity to work together with communities to bring in great paying jobs.

 Zero-Emission Vehicles and Workforce Development – Breakout Rooms

  • Breakout Room #1: Charging Up the Future: Empowering Youth through EV Education and On-the-Ground Experience
    • Concentrating on youth education within the EV space is paramount for cultivating a sustainable and informed future. Through targeted educational efforts, Making Hope Happen has been working to empower the youth with the knowledge and skills needed to actively contribute to the advancement and adoption of electric vehicles and prosperity in their own communities. Making Hope Happen has been focusing and has expertise working with youth on resumes and interviews. This session discussed how partnerships have been critical to success, especially in lieu of funding, which is incredibly challenging to obtain being a small organization.
  • Breakout Room #2: Building Stronger Futures: The Power of Coalition Building for Workforce Development
    • This breakout started with the projects that Greenwealth has been working on and how they had to focus on propping up workforce programs for regional necessity, and then focused in on the idea that fostering community empowerment necessitates genuine partnerships, with economic prosperity serving as a pivotal factor. This session concentrated on strategies for communities to access and mobilize capital effectively.
  • Breakout Room #3: Overcoming Barriers for an Inclusive EV Workforce
    • This conversation centered on how we can ensure that disadvantaged communities get the support they need to build the skills, training, and experience needed to support EV deployment and fully take advantage of its economic benefits. Participants discussed the root causes of these challenges and identified practical steps to address them. ChargerHelp’s facilitation also included a discussion thinking about who is doing maintenance and how we prepare with SAE International.

 Discussion and Next Steps

  • Participants suggested allocating more space for discussion in future agendas.
    • Recognizing the value of open and collaborative exchanges, we are committed to enhancing the opportunities for meaningful dialogues during our sessions.
  • Participants also shared that it would be valuable to visit communities across California.
    • As we look to the year ahead, anticipate conversations around planning community tours to help deepen relationships and strengthen understanding of experiences in overburdened California communities. We welcome your ideas as we work to put together making meaningful tours in communities throughout California. 
  • The frequency and timing of workgroup meetings will be determined by the workgroup members for the next year.
    • A focal point of the Task Force's efforts will be directed toward showcasing early projects both within the workgroups and through numerous conversations that started in this space.
    • Our next meeting will aim to highlight the successes of industry working successfully with community groups to begin implementing projects. 
    • We are excited to hear how implementation of providing discounted ZEVs to community mobility programs is going, hearing about early projects of industry successfully working with community groups and hearing more about Electrify America’s potential ZEV Equitable Access Program development, with the aim of providing a platform to share insights, processes, and high-level takeaways from those who have successfully started implementing strategies.