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10,000 California Charging Stations Funded

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Just got this e-mail from PECG

EMAIL UPDATE FROM PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS IN CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT

The first step to provide fast-charging stations for electric vehicles along the entire length of I-5 from Canada to Mexico has been implemented. Eight charging stations at approximately 25 mile intervals along I-5 from the California border north are open for business. At 480 volts, the stations will charge an all-electric Nissan Leaf in less than half an hour. The Leaf goes 70 to 90 miles on a full charge.




Sort of interesting that they mention the leaf as if it is the only EV out there.
Can you charge a leaf w/480V? or in under a half hour at that V
 
Offical page:
http://gov.ca.gov/home.php

Governor Brown Announces $120 Million Settlement to Fund Electric Car Charging Stations Across California


3-23-2012

Issues Executive Order to Help Bring 1.5 Million Zero-Emission Vehicles Onto California’s Roads​


GOLETA – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. joined with the California Public Utilities Commission today to announce a $120 million dollar settlement with NRG Energy Inc. that will fund the construction of a statewide network of charging stations for zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), including at least 200 public fast-charging stations and another 10,000 plug-in units at 1,000 locations across the state. The settlement stems from California’s energy crisis.

The Governor also announced that he has signed an executive order laying the foundation for 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on California’s roadways by 2025.

“This executive order strengthens California’s position as a national leader in zero-emission vehicles,” said Governor Brown, “and the settlement will dramatically expand California's electric vehicle infrastructure, helping to clean our air and reduce our dependence on foreign oil."

The settlement announced today resolves ten-year-old claims against a subsidiary of Dynegy Inc., then a co-owner with NRG of the portfolio of power generating plants currently owned by NRG in California, for costs of long-term power contracts signed in March 2001. NRG assumed full responsibility for resolving this matter in 2006 when NRG acquired Dynegy's 50% interest in the assets. One hundred million dollars from the settlement will fund the fast-charging stations and the installation of the plug-in units and electrical upgrades, at no cost to taxpayers. The remaining twenty million dollars will be directed to ratepayer relief. For more information on the settlement, please contact the CPUC.

The network of charging stations funded by the settlement will be installed in the San Francisco Bay Area, the San Joaquin Valley, the Los Angeles Basin and San Diego County. This new infrastructure network is a breakthrough in encouraging consumer adoption of electric vehicles and will contribute significantly to achieving California’s clean car goals.

“The settlement will launch a virtuous circle in which ever more Californians will feel comfortable driving EVs, and growing EV sales will in turn attract ever more investment in charging infrastructure to our state,” said CPUC President Michael R. Peevey. “It will create jobs in California, help clean our air, and support attainment of our greenhouse gas reduction goals.”

Added CPUC Commissioner Mike Florio: “This is a truly creative deal that offers tremendous value for California utility customers. In one stroke it closes out an unfortunate chapter in our history and propels us down the road to a clean transportation future. Through the settlement, EVs will become a viable transportation option for many Californians who do not have the option to have a charging station at their residence.”

Mary Nichols, Chair of the California Air Resources Board Chair (CARB), lauded the settlement agreement. “California has the most aggressive clean transportation goals in the nation,” said Nichols. “The automakers are already building clean electric cars. This infrastructure infusion will give consumers the confidence to go out and buy them, which is what needs to happen for us to clean our air, lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduce our dependence on imported oil.”

In January, CARB voted to require the largest automakers to derive 15 percent, or about 1.4 million, of their annual California sales from electric vehicles and other zero or near-zero emissions vehicles by 2025.

The Executive Order issued today by the Governor sets the following targets:

• By 2015, all major cities in California will have adequate infrastructure and be “zero-emission vehicle ready”;

• By 2020, the state will have established adequate infrastructure to support 1 million zero-emission vehicles in California;

• By 2025, there will be 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on the road in California; and

• By 2050, virtually all personal transportation in the State will be based on zero-emission vehicles, and greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector will be reduced by 80 percent below 1990 levels.

AB 32, the 2006 Global Warming Solutions Act, calls for a 30 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. The goal of 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 was set by an executive order signed by former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Last year, Governor Brown signed SB X1-2, which directed the California Air Resources Board to adopt regulations setting a 33 percent renewable energy target.

Copied below is the full text of the Governor’s Executive Order:

EXECUTIVE ORDER


WHEREAS California is the nation’s largest market for cars and light-duty trucks; and

WHEREAS the transportation sector is the biggest contributor to California’s greenhouse gas emissions and accounts for approximately 40 percent of these emissions; and

WHEREAS California should encourage the development and success of zero-emission vehicles to protect the environment, stimulate economic growth and improve the quality of life in the State; and

WHEREAS California is a leader of technological innovation, including the innovation necessary to produce commercially successful zero-emission vehicles; and

WHEREAS California attracts over half of the nation’s venture capital for clean technology and ranks high among the states in the number of workers and facilities supporting the clean-car industry; and

WHEREAS California is leading the nation in enacting laws and establishing policies and programs that are reducing greenhouse gases, protecting air and water quality, promoting energy diversity and supporting low-carbon alternative fuel technologies; and

WHEREAS zero-emission vehicles provide multiple benefits in addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, such as reducing conventional pollutants, operating quietly and cleanly, allowing home refueling and lowering operating and fuel costs; and

WHEREAS California should support and encourage car manufacturers’ plans to build and sell tens of thousands of zero-emission vehicles in California in the coming years.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Edmund G. Brown Jr., Governor of the State of California, do hereby issue the following orders to become effective immediately:

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that all State entities under my direction and control support and facilitate the rapid commercialization of zero-emission vehicles.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the California Air Resources Board, the California Energy Commission, the Public Utilities Commission and other relevant agencies work with the Plug-in Electric Vehicle Collaborative and the California Fuel Cell Partnership to establish benchmarks to help achieve by 2015:
• The State’s major metropolitan areas will be able to accommodate zero-emission vehicles, each with infrastructure plans and streamlined permitting; and
• The State’s manufacturing sector will be expanding zero-emission vehicle and component manufacturing; and
• The private sector’s investment in zero-emission vehicle infrastructure will be growing; and
• The State’s academic and research institutions will be contributing to zero-emission vehicle research, innovation and education.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that these entities establish benchmarks to help achieve by 2020:
• The State’s zero-emission vehicle infrastructure will be able to support up to one million vehicles; and
• The costs of zero-emission vehicles will be competitive with conventional combustion vehicles; and
• Zero-emission vehicles will be accessible to mainstream consumers; and
• There will be widespread use of zero-emission vehicles for public transportation and freight transport; and
• Transportation sector greenhouse gas emissions will be falling as a result of the switch to zero-emission vehicles; and
• Electric vehicle charging will be integrated into the electricity grid; and
• The private sector’s role in the supply chain for zero-emission vehicle component development and manufacturing State will be expanding.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that these entities establish benchmarks to help achieve by 2025:
• Over 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles will be on California roads and their market share will be expanding; and
• Californians will have easy access to zero-emission vehicle infrastructure; and
• The zero-emission vehicle industry will be a strong and sustainable part of California’s economy; and
• California’s clean, efficient vehicles will annually displace at least 1.5 billion gallons of petroleum fuels.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that California target for 2050 a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector equaling 80 percent less than 1990 levels.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that California's state vehicle fleet increase the number of its zero-emission vehicles through the normal course of fleet replacement so that at least 10 percent of fleet purchases of light-duty vehicles be zero-emission by 2015 and at least 25 percent of fleet purchases of light-duty vehicles be zero-emission by 2020. This directive shall not apply to vehicles that have special performance requirements necessary for the protection of the public safety and welfare.

This Order is not intended to, and does not, create any rights or benefits, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity, against the State of California, its agencies, departments, entities, officers, employees, or any other person.

I FURTHER DIRECT that as soon as hereafter possible, this Order be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State and that widespread publicity and notice be given to this Order.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 23rd day of March 2012.


___________________________________
EDMUND G. BROWN JR.
Governor of California


ATTEST:


___________________________________
DEBRA BOWEN
Secretary of State















 
California announced Friday it has reached a $120 million settlement with
NRG Energy
over power contracts that contributed to the state’s energy crisis a decade ago...
...
The settlement will benefit NRG, which
has gotten into
the electric car charging station business and branded it eVgo. The company will be building the $100 million charging network over the next four years,
NRG said
.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/uciliaw...o-build-a-100m-electric-car-charging-network/
 
^^
Well, yes, that's why the settlement amount is $120million instead of some much lower number, had NRG been required to write a check as customer rebates (which it did for $20 million). NRG has a very credible case that a court of law would award California nothing in damages; even if it were to settle for cash, a much smaller amount than $120 million would have been comparable to the settlement that the State reached with Sempra. But by investing in EVs, NRG is helping the state meet public policy goals while advancing its own business objectives. The $100 million it's putting into EV infrastructure is far more than NRG would have put in strictly as a for-profit company.

This settlement is a win/win/win for California ratepayers, EV drivers, and NRG. I may not be Elon Musk that I can invest pots of my own money to move the ball on EVs, but I'm delighted that I can help a client do so.
 
^^
Well, yes, that's why the settlement amount is $120million instead of some much lower number, had NRG been required to write a check as customer rebates (which it did for $20 million). .

That's what I thought at first.

This settlement is a win/win/win for California ratepayers, EV drivers, and NRG. I may not be Elon Musk that I can invest pots of my own money to move the ball on EVs, but I'm delighted that I can help a client do so.

How will they decide about the details? Are they already decided, but those details not made public yet, are there vague plans, or is it all open? Which kinds of fast chargers are under discussion? Or is it all left to NRG to decide by themselves in the future, and no one knows what they are going to do?
 
Using the fast chargers seems to require monthly fee of $79 (which includes home charging equipment with a three year service agreement or so).

EDIT: And their idea seems to be to have many fast chargers at different points in a few large cities. So far.
 
Chelsea Sexton (respected EV advocate) has come out very critical of this settlement. The chargers will apparently cost $10-15 to use for a charge, which presumably is based on a Leaf type capacity (so ~$40 for a 300 mile S or Roadster?). That puts it at about a 1000% profit margin vs. the electricity cost if I'm thinking about this right.

That said, maybe it's still good to have more options if you need it. But it does seem like the $120mil figure is a sham given what Robert.Boston says above. If that was real money we'd be paying for the stations and then paying a huge profit again on the charge.
 
That said, maybe it's still good to have more options if you need it. But it does seem like the $120mil figure is a sham given what Robert.Boston says above. If that was real money we'd be paying for the stations and then paying a huge profit again on the charge.

I guess we don't know if what they are planning for CA is similar to their Texas plans. I guess it is an exaggeration to call it a $120 million settlement, since as Robert says the cash amount would have been much smaller. So it is difficult to tell whether that's a good deal or not, for CA. But still, it is a $120 million value even if that is in part an investment of NRG in its eVgo network.

The executive order which VFX posted seems serious, so I have a rather good impression about this. Even if I'm not the biggest CHAdeMO fan, and would prefer if at least 50 of those were Superchargers (and that SAE would make Superchargers standard for DC). :)
 
If you read the settlement carefully, a big chunk of the money is going to pre-wire 1,000 locations for up to 10,000 EVSE/chargers. That's infrastructure spend that NRG is making with no guarantee that their EVGo network will be chosen to do the EVSE/charger installation afterwards.

The settlement's surely not a sham -- NRG would possibly have been investing some (much smaller) figure in EVGo in California, and it's possible that they will even see some earnings based on the investment. But IMO it's still a big move forward for EVs in CA. Naturally politicians want to make the most of the settlement as possible.

Hopefully I can nudge my client to invest in some 'tween chargers to get EVs out to the wilds of CA.