(From Press Release) – The Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) board of directors has approved a $2.9 million grant to Valley Clean Energy (VCE) that will lay the foundation for increased electric vehicle charging opportunities and multi-modal transportation hubs in Yolo County. The City of Davis, Yolo County and the City of Woodland joined forces with VCE to submit a joint application for grant funds.
“We are excited about this grant and believe it lays a strong foundation for the future growth of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure in the City of Davis and throughout the region,” said Lucas Frerichs, Davis City Council member and chair of the Valley Clean Energy board of directors. “This is one of the benefits that community choice energy providers like VCE offer — to partner with local government agencies and support infrastructure development.”
Last week’s action by SACOG will result in larger numbers of publicly available, networked electric vehicle (EV) charging stations throughout Davis, Woodland, and Yolo County. The charging infrastructure will include up to sixty 240-volt, level 2 chargers, along with two to five fast chargers near highway corridors such as Interstates 5, 80 and 505 and Highway 113.
These chargers will also be located to encourage “active transportation” (walking, biking, and transit) and enhance downtown economic vitality as co-benefits of EV charging. The grant also provides 
for up to 10 mobile electric vehicle chargers and an electric bus serving downtown Davis and the UC Davis campus.
“This is one way to reduce the ‘range anxiety’ associated with electric vehicle ownership,” said Tom Stallard, Woodland City Council member and vice chair of the Valley Clean Energy board of directors. “As more publicly available charging infrastructure is installed, more people will feel comfortable purchasing electric vehicles. This provides a great benefit to the people of Woodland and across Yolo County.”
The grant is provided through SACOG’s newest competitive program, the Green Region Program. The Green Region Program is intended to help the Sacramento region’s transportation system reduce emissions while continuing to function effectively and efficiently.
Green Region focuses on bringing together both public and private partners who are working toward the same goals of reducing vehicle miles traveled and improving air quality in their respective regions. Four grants of approximately $3 million each were awarded in the region. The VCE grant was the only award for the full requested amount.
“This is an example of cooperation between public agencies that will have wide-ranging, positive impacts on the community,” said Don Saylor, Yolo County supervisor and member of the Valley Clean Energy board of directors. “Through this grant, we will be able to install publicly available electric vehicle charging infrastructure in many new locations in Yolo County.”
The grant partners have four years to complete the project.
Will this end up in even less parking spots downtown as it has been my experience that these electric charging parking stations are rarely used?
Although we own no electric vehicles, my observations differ… might be coincidence, but think, not… I see a lot of the existing stations in Davis used regularly…
That said, I believe that the existing ones are “freebies”… you can charge your electric vehicle at no cost. Aka ‘subsidy’ for a certain “class”… I’d have no problem with the concept IF such ‘stations’ are priced at least the same as if you recharged at home… plus the ‘public cost’ for maintaining/replacing the stations/units. A zero sum economic situation.
Currently (pun intended), they do not… a direct subsidy, “freebie” to a certain ‘class’… as a pilot, OK… seems like a reasonable experiment to encourage a behavior (“build it, and they will come”)… but not as an SOP, moving forward… an example, should high efficiency gas vehicles get free or reduced price for gasoline? Paid for by others?
If the new stations recover all direct/indirect costs, am for it.
I used to park daily at SMF and there were 4 electric spots in that lot that were never used. Wildhorse Golf Course has 2 electric spots that are never used. I rarely if ever see anyone hooked up to electric charging stations.
Will users of these electric parking stations be charged parking fees?
I care little about parking fees… I care a lot as to energy/maintenance costs… perhaps we should charge parking fees for on-street parking @ your home, Keith? Use of street pavement, and we need more $ for street maintenance, right?
As you should know I’m against paid parking in our downtown. But since we’re going to go to paid parking downtown I think it only right that these charging parking spots should also have to pay, but we all know they will most likely be free. What parking in front of my house has to do with anything is beyond me. I don’t live downtown.
And how is on-street parking in front of your house different from on-street parking in front of a property owned in ‘downtown’? Or, from “preferential parking” (by permit only) elsewhere in the City?
Please enlighten as to the differences… if you can…
BTW, am ambivalent as to paid parking downtown… unclear as to benefits, unclear if enforcement is worth the revenues… lots of fixed costs as to paid parking… same as to preferential parking, and considering it extended to all streets where parking is allowed…
For one thing on street parking in front of my house isn’t in demand like downtown parking. We’re already as a community paying for our streets through taxation. How is that little spot in front of my house any different from the entirety of roads that we as taxpayers are already paying for? BTW, I park in my garage or driveway anyway. So you’re barking up the wrong tree.
Keith, your 8:25 post…
Are we? Really? Seems paying for streets directly, failed. Guess we are paying for complete security as to fire, criminality, streets, parks, greenbelts, etc. We should have no fees for any government service as it is “covered” in taxes, if I get your drift… and those should be lowered, right?
This has been discussed on here to death. So Howard, should you be charged an extra fee to walk on the sidewalks? To ride your bike on a bike path? To walk your dog in Central Park? I could go on forever. What things should be taxed separately that all cost money and people use for free?
As you stated earlier:
No response, about what I expected.
Put in other terms, how much is SACOG’s program prepared to pay annually for the exclusive use of these spaces?
Cost of the equipment and wiring to support is a drop in the bucket compared to the further negative impacts on those already challenged to find parking.
Tax credits are one thing, discriminating against different classes of vehucle ownership at the expense of others is difficult to jusrify.
Somewhat, je d’accord…