More EV Charging Coming to San Francisco Private and Public Parking Facilities

To reach an ambitious net-zero target for transportation emissions in San Francisco, Mayor Breed and two supervisors introduced legislation to require large parking facilities provide electric vehicle charging for 10% of spaces.

2 minute read

July 19, 2019, 9:00 AM PDT

By Irvin Dawid


Electric Car Charging Stencil

Paul Krueger / Flickr

"San Francisco officials want to shrink the city’s carbon footprint by eliminating the greenhouse gases belched from cars, trucks and other vehicles by 2040," reported Dominic Fracassa for the San Francisco Chronicle on Tuesday morning, July 16, shortly before the Board of Supervisors' meeting.

The city will take the first step toward that goal Tuesday,, when Mayor London Breed and Supervisors Vallie Brown and Aaron Peskin introduce legislation to install more electric-vehicle charging stations in both public and private parking lots and garages

San Francisco’s pending legislation, which city officials believe to be the first of its kind in the country, would require private parking lots and garages with more than 100 parking spots to install electric-vehicle charging stations next to at least 10% of the spaces. The ordinance would apply to about 300 commercial parking facilities in the city whose owners would have until 2023 to install the new stations.

Daniel Montes reports after the meeting for SF Bay that the legislation was introduced.

Lack of charging stations is one barrier to increasing adoption of electric vehicles. The city will attempt to sweeten the pot with incentives, such as reducing parking rates for EVs and removing barriers to installing chargers at residences, adds Fracassa.

State legislation to reform rebate program

On the state level, Assemblyman Phil Ting of San Francisco announced on July 8 that he amended current legislation to make the state's Clean Vehicle Rebate Project more sustainable and attractive to car consumers. Cap-and-trade revenue is the source of funds for the rebate program.

AB 1046 also requires the state to identify a steady rebate revenue stream so consumers are guaranteed their rebate, instead of being put on a waiting list when funds run out. The program is currently funded year-to-year with no guarantee lawmakers will continue the appropriation, or at what level.

Too often, potential buyers have been discouraged when rebates are not immediately available and postponed their transition to clean cars.

Ting, a strong advocate for increasing sales of electric vehicles, proposed legislation in 2017 to increase the value of the state rebates and authored bills last year and this year to ban sales of light-duty vehicles powered by internal combustion engines by 2040. None have passed.

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Hat tip to MTC Headline News.

Tuesday, July 16, 2019 in San Francisco Chronicle

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