$17.3 Million in Rebates Available for Electric Vehicle Chargers in Alameda County

Oakland, California (December 1, 2021) – The California Energy Commission (CEC) and East Bay Community Energy (EBCE) have announced that $17.3 million in incentives will be available to purchase and install publicly accessible electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in Alameda County. The funds are part of the California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project (CALeVIP) that addresses regional charging needs and supports state efforts to phase out the sale of new gasoline-powered passenger cars by 2035. Applications for rebates open December 1.

The Alameda County Incentive Project is sponsored and co-funded by the CEC in partnership with EBCE, Alameda County’s public power provider. Incentives from the new Alameda County Incentive Project can cover up to 75% of EV charging equipment and installation costs. A minimum of 50% of total project funding will be invested in disadvantaged and low-income communities. Additionally, half of all fast charging incentives have been allocated for projects built near dense concentrations of multifamily housing to help renters who do not have access to home charging make the transition to EVs, according to EBCE.

The expansion of publicly available charging infrastructure will help the region achieve greater consumer EV adoption, reduce transportation related air pollution, and achieve state and local climate action goals. The incentives are available for new charging stations at businesses, shopping centers, gas stations, public facilities, multifamily housing and other community locations throughout Alameda County. Privately owned parking facilities may apply if the installation is for shared use parking spaces.

“As the cost of EV ownership continues to decline, one remaining barrier for customer adoption is access to charging stations,” said Nick Chaset, Chief Executive Officer for EBCE. “This is particularly challenging for people who live in apartments where there is no opportunity to charge your car where you live. This project to install publicly accessible chargers will increase opportunities for EV ownership to people who want access to the benefits that EVs provide.”

CALeVIP is one of several initiatives aimed at advancing Governor Gavin Newsom’s executive order requiring sales of all new passenger vehicles to be zero-emission by 2035. Funding comes from the CEC’s Clean Transportation Program, which invests up to $100 million annually to support California communities, increase access to EV charging infrastructure, support innovation and accelerate the deployment of advanced transportation and fuel technologies.

CALeVIP incentives range from $3,500 to $6,000 per connector for commercial-grade Level 2 EV chargers and $30,000 to $80,000 for high-powered DC fast chargers (DCFC). The higher amounts for both charger types are available for installations in disadvantaged or low-income communities and for Level 2 chargers at multifamily and affordable housing in all communities.

Property owners and managers in Alameda County interested in EV chargers can apply for funding online at Alameda County Incentive Project. Applications can include multiple charger rebates at a single location. The website CALeVIP Connects provides information on electric vehicle installers and service providers.

Since December 2017, CALeVIP has made more than $185 million available for EV charging installations across 11 regional incentive projects to support state goals to get 5 million electric vehicles on California roads by 2030 and to install 250,000 vehicle charging stations to service those vehicles.

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The California Energy Commission is leading the state to a 100 percent clean energy future. It has seven core responsibilities: developing renewable energy, transforming transportation, increasing energy efficiency, investing in energy innovation, advancing state energy policy, certifying thermal power plants, and preparing for energy emergencies.

One simple mission—DECARBONIZE.
The Center for Sustainable Energy® (CSE) is a nonprofit that designs and manages state, local and utility-scale clean energy and transportation programs across the U.S. for governments, regulated entities and the private sector. Learn more at EnergyCenter.org.

East Bay Community Energy is a not-for-profit public agency that operates a Community Choice Energy program for most of Alameda County and the city of Tracy, serving more than 1.7 million residential and commercial customers EBCE initiated service in June 2018 and expanded to the cities of Pleasanton, Newark, and Tracy in April 2021. As one of 19 community choice aggregation (CCA) programs operating in California, EBCE is part of the movement to expedite the climate action goals of their communities and those of California. EBCE is committed to providing clean power at competitive rates while reinvesting in our local communities. For more information about East Bay Community Energy, visit ebce.org.

Dan Lieberman, Marketing Director, dlieberman@ebce.org or 925-579-1591