Stanislaus is short on electric car charging stations. New state grants will help
The state is offering $1.97 million in grants to help spread electric car charging stations in Stanislaus County.
The California Energy Commission will cover up to 75% of the cost for installations at shopping centers, apartment complexes, gas stations and other convenient spots.
The agency on Monday announced a total of $17.5 million in grants to 13 rural counties. Merced is receiving $660,000.
The grants are part of the state’s goal of 5 million electric vehicles on the roads by 2030, along with 250,000 charging stations. The aim is to reduce the carbon emissions involved with climate change.
A news release said the grants will help the rural counties catch up with urban and suburban areas that already have plenty of places to charge an electric vehicle.
“More ready access to charging means Californians can have confidence that EVs can meet their transportation needs, whether in urban or rural areas,” Commissioner Patty Monahan said.
The grants will come through the new Inland Communities Incentive Project, which has two categories:
- $3,500 to $6,000 per connector for a commercial-grade Level 2 EV charger. They typically deliver 15 to 35 miles of electric driving range per hour of charging and are suited to locations where drivers are parked for a few hours.
$30,000 to $80,000 for a high-powered DC fast charger. They can provide about 150 miles of driving per hour of charging and are best for major destinations and travel corridors.
Property owners and managers can learn more about applying at CALeVIP.org. It stands for California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project.
The other rural counties getting grants are Butte, El Dorado, Imperial, Kings, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Solano, Sutter, Tulare and Yolo.
The program does not involve charging of electric vehicles at single-family homes. That practice got a boost in January, when the Modesto Irrigation District started offering discounts for using off-peak power for this purpose. The Turlock Irrigation District and Pacific Gas & Electric Co. already had the incentive.
This story was originally published May 20, 2021 at 4:00 AM.
