California Air Resources Board

Summary

Requires the California Energy Commission (CEC), working with CARB and the California Public Utilities Commission, to prepare a statewide assessment of the supply needs for transmission and distribution infrastructure and equipment that is necessary to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045, as specified. The bill also requires CEC to update the assessment at least once every 3 years, and to submit the assessment to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2025, and on or before January 1 every 3 years thereafter. Was not heard in the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee.

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Summary

Would have required the California Energy Commission (CEC) to assess the electric vehicle charging infrastructure needed to support the levels of electric vehicle adoption required for the State to meet the goal of ensuring 100% of new cars and light trucks sold in California are zero-emission vehicles and evaluate the electric vehicle charging infrastructure needs of specified use cases to ensure an equitable deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The bill would have also required CEC to assess whether Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations are disproportionately distributed, whether drivers whose homes are located in rural or urban communities have disproportionate access to charging station infrastructure, whether homes have equal access to electrical panel capacity sufficient to support at-home charging, and whether charging station infrastructure necessary to fulfill the requirements of the California Clean Miles Standard and Incentive Program has been disproportionately distributed. Held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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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.

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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

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Summary

Would have required CARB, on or before December 31, 2025, in consultation with the California Energy Commission (CEC) and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), upon appropriation by the Legislature, to complete an assessment of the use of hydrogen in certain applications, as specified. The bill would have required CARB to evaluate a number of things, including the potential for reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases using hydrogen for the application and the energy efficiency of using hydrogen for the application. The bill also would have required CARB, CEC, and CPUC to consider the findings in the assessment in their plans, rulemakings, reports, or other processes related to the planning, implementation, or regulation of hydrogen production, distribution, storage, or usage in the State. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Requires CARB, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to establish a program to install and maintain electric vehicle service equipment at safety roadside rests, with the goal of serving at least one-half of the parking spaces, excluding those parking spaces designed for use by a tractor-trailer, at each safety roadside rest in California. The bill also requires that the electric vehicle service equipment installed pursuant to the program be available to the public at no charge and be the fastest type that is reasonably commercially available. Was not heard in the Senate Transportation Committee.

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Summary

Requires the California Energy Commission (CEC), in consultation with CARB and the California Public Utilities Commission, on or before June 30, 2024, to convene a stakeholder workgroup to examine challenges and opportunities associated with using a battery electric vehicle and bidirectional electric vehicle service equipment as a mobile battery to power a home or building to provide electricity to the electrical grid, and requires CEC, in consultation with the stakeholder workgroup, on or before January 1, 2026, to submit a report to the Governor and Legislature that includes specified information related to the bidirectional capability of battery electric vehicles and electric vehicle service equipment, as specified. The bill also authorizes CARB to require any weight class of battery electric vehicle to be bidirectional capable if it determines there is a sufficiently compelling beneficial bidirectional-capable use case to the battery electric vehicle operator and electrical grid. Moved to the Assembly Inactive File.

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Summary

Would have required the California Energy Commission (CEC) to equitably allocate money appropriated by the Legislature for hydrogen-fueling infrastructure to specifically prioritize rural communities and low-income communities. The bill also would have required CEC and CARB to jointly review and submit a report to the Legislature on the progress toward establishing this hydrogen-fueling infrastructure. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Expresses the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would further support California’s efforts to decarbonize the built environment. Remains at the Assembly Desk.

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Summary

Would have required the California Energy Commission (CEC) to gather aggregated information that would allow the public sector to estimate the total anticipated hydrogen fueling demand at each fleet location. The bill would have also required CEC to share the aggregated data with developers of publicly available hydrogen fueling stations and would have prohibited the developer of a publicly available hydrogen fueling station from disclosing that data to third parties. This bill would have amended AB 2700 (McCarty, Chapter 354, Statutes of 2022) that requires CARB to supply data to CEC. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Requires, on and after January 1, 2045, that all hydrogen produced and used in California for the generation of electricity or fueling of vehicles be green hydrogen. The bill requires CARB, in consultation with the California Public Utilities Commission and the California Energy Commission, to develop interim targets to ensure the State achieves that requirement. Moved to the Assembly Inactive File.

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