Bill Text: CA AB823 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Clean Transportation Program: eligible projects.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2024-02-01 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB823 Detail]
Download: California-2023-AB823-Amended.html
|
Amended
IN
Assembly
March 02, 2023 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 823
| Introduced by Assembly Member Schiavo |
February 13, 2023 |
An act to amend Section 14522.1 of the Government 44272 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to transportation.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 823, as amended, Schiavo.
Transportation planning: travel demand models. Clean Transportation Program: eligible projects.
Existing law establishes the Clean Transportation Program, administered by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, to provide funding, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to certain entities to develop and deploy innovative technologies that transform California’s fuel and vehicle types to help attain the state’s climate change policies. Existing law requires the commission to give preference to those projects that maximize the goals of the program based on specified criteria and to fund specified eligible projects, including, among others, alternative and renewable fuel infrastructure, fueling stations, and equipment.
This bill would expand the list of eligible projects to include, among other things, roadway integrated fueling and parking surface integrated fueling projects.
Existing law requires the California Transportation Commission, in consultation with the Department of Transportation and the State Air Resources Board, to maintain guidelines for travel demand models used in the development of regional transportation plans by federally designated metropolitan transportation organizations.
This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to that provision.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee:Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 44272 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:44272.
(a) The Clean Transportation Program is hereby created. The program shall be administered by the commission. The commission shall implement the program by regulation pursuant to the requirements of(b) A project that receives more than seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) in funds from the commission shall be approved at a noticed public
meeting of the commission and shall be consistent with the priorities established by the investment plan adopted pursuant to Section 44272.5. Under this article, the commission may delegate to the commission’s executive director, or the executive director’s designee, the authority to approve either of the following:
(1) A contract, grant, loan, or other agreement or award that receives seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) or less in funds from the commission.
(2) Amendments to a contract, grant, loan, or other agreement or award as long as the amendments do not increase the amount of the award, change the scope of the project, or modify the purpose of the agreement.
(c) The commission shall provide preferences to those projects that maximize the goals of the Clean Transportation Program, based on the following
criteria, as applicable:
(1) The project’s ability to provide a measurable transition from the nearly exclusive use of petroleum fuels to a diverse portfolio of viable alternative fuels that meet petroleum reduction and alternative fuel use goals.
(2) The project’s consistency with existing and future state climate change policy and low-carbon fuel standards.
(3) The project’s ability to reduce criteria air pollutants and air toxics and reduce or avoid multimedia environmental impacts.
(4) The project’s ability to decrease, on a life-cycle basis, the discharge of water pollutants or any other substances known to damage human health or the environment, in comparison to the production and use of California Phase 2 Reformulated Gasoline or diesel fuel
produced and sold pursuant to California diesel fuel regulations set forth in Article 2 (commencing with Section 2280) of Chapter 5 of Division 3 of Title 13 of the California Code of Regulations.
(5) The project does not adversely impact the sustainability of the state’s natural resources, especially state and federal lands.
(6) The project provides nonstate matching funds. Costs incurred from the date a proposed award is noticed may be counted as nonstate matching funds. The commission may adopt further requirements for the purposes of this paragraph. The commission is not liable for costs incurred pursuant to this paragraph if the commission does not give final approval for the project or the proposed recipient does not meet requirements adopted by the commission pursuant to this paragraph.
(7) The project
provides economic benefits for California by promoting California-based technology firms, jobs, and businesses.
(8) The project uses existing or proposed fueling infrastructure to maximize the outcome of the project.
(9) The project’s ability to reduce on a life-cycle assessment greenhouse gas emissions by at least 10 percent, and higher percentages in the future, from current reformulated gasoline and diesel fuel standards established by the state board.
(10) The project’s use of alternative fuel blends of at least 20 percent, and higher blend ratios in the future, with a preference for projects with higher blends.
(11) The project drives new technology advancement for vehicles, vessels, engines, and other equipment, and promotes the deployment of that
technology in the marketplace.
(12) The project’s ability to transition workers to, or promote employment in, the alternative and renewable fuel and vehicle technology sector.
(13) The project is in a nonattainment area pursuant to the federal Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 7401 et seq.), and, if applicable, preference shall be given to projects in the highest designation of nonattainment.
(14) The project advances the comprehensive strategy for vehicles pursuant to Section 43024.2.
(d) The commission shall rank applications for projects proposed for funding awards based on solicitation criteria developed in accordance with subdivision (c), and shall give additional preference to funding those projects with higher benefit-cost scores.
(e) Only the following shall be eligible for funding:
(1) Alternative and renewable fuel projects to develop and improve alternative and renewable low-carbon fuels, including electricity, ethanol, dimethyl ether, renewable diesel, natural gas, hydrogen, and biomethane, among others, and their feedstocks that have high potential for long-term or short-term commercialization, including projects that lead to sustainable feedstocks.
(2) Demonstration and deployment projects that optimize alternative and renewable fuels for existing and developing engine technologies.
(3) Projects to produce alternative and renewable low-carbon fuels in California.
(4) Projects to decrease the overall impact of an
alternative and renewable fuel’s life-cycle carbon footprint and increase sustainability.
(5) Alternative and renewable fuel infrastructure, fueling stations, roadway integrated fueling projects, parking surface integrated fueling projects, and equipment. The preference in paragraph (10) of subdivision (c) shall not apply to renewable diesel or biodiesel infrastructure, fueling stations, and equipment used solely for renewable diesel or biodiesel fuel.
(6) Projects to develop and improve light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicle technologies that provide for better fuel efficiency and lower greenhouse gas emissions, alternative fuel usage and storage, or emission reductions, including propulsion systems, advanced internal combustion engines with a 40 percent or better
efficiency level over the current market standard, lightweight materials, intelligent transportation systems, energy storage, control systems and system integration, physical measurement and metering systems and software, development of design standards and testing and certification protocols, battery recycling and reuse, engine and fuel optimization electronic and electrified components, hybrid technology, plug-in hybrid technology, battery electric vehicle technology, fuel cell technology, and conversions of hybrid technology to plug-in technology through the installation of safety certified supplemental battery modules.
(7) Programs and projects that accelerate the commercialization of vehicles and alternative and renewable fuels, including buy-down programs through near-market and market-path deployments, advanced technology warranty or replacement insurance, development of market niches, supply-chain development, and research related to
the pedestrian safety impacts of vehicle technologies and alternative and renewable fuels.
(8) Programs and projects to retrofit medium- and heavy-duty on-road and nonroad vehicle fleets with technologies that create higher fuel efficiencies, including alternative and renewable fuel vehicles and technologies, idle management technology, and aerodynamic retrofits that decrease fuel consumption.
(9) Infrastructure projects that promote alternative and renewable fuel infrastructure development connected with existing fleets, public transit, parking surfaces, and existing transportation corridors, including physical measurement or metering equipment
equipment, roadway integrated fueling, and truck stop electrification.
(10) Workforce training programs related to the development and deployment of technologies that transform California’s fuel and vehicle types and assist the state in implementing its climate change policies, including, but not limited to, alternative and renewable fuel feedstock production and extraction; renewable fuel production, distribution, transport, and storage; high-performance and low-emission vehicle technology and high tower electronics; automotive computer systems; mass transit fleet conversion, servicing, and maintenance; and other sectors or occupations related to the purposes of this chapter, including training programs to transition dislocated workers affected by the state’s greenhouse gas emission policies, including those from fossil fuel sectors, or training programs for low-skilled workers to enter or continue in
a career pathway that leads to middle skill, industry-recognized credentials or state-approved apprenticeship opportunities in occupations related to the purposes of this chapter.
(11) Block grants or incentive programs administered by public entities or not-for-profit technology entities for multiple projects, education and program promotion within California, and development of alternative and renewable fuel and vehicle technology centers. The commission may adopt guidelines for implementing the block grant or incentive program, which shall be approved at a noticed public meeting of the commission.
(12) Life-cycle and multimedia analyses, sustainability and environmental impact evaluations, and market, financial, and technology assessments performed by a state agency to determine the impacts of increasing the use of low-carbon transportation fuels and technologies, and to assist
in the preparation of the investment plan and program implementation.
(13) A program to provide funding for homeowners who purchase a plug-in electric vehicle to offset costs associated with modifying electrical sources to include a residential plug-in electric vehicle charging station. In establishing this program, the commission shall consider funding criteria to maximize the public benefit of the program.
(f) The commission may make a single source or sole source award pursuant to this section for applied research. The same requirements set forth in Section 25620.5 of the Public Resources Code shall apply to awards made on a single source basis or a sole source basis. This subdivision does not authorize the commission to make a single source or sole source award for a project or activity other than for applied research.
(g) The commission may do all of the following:
(1) Contract with the Treasurer to expend funds through programs implemented by the Treasurer, if the expenditure is consistent with all of the requirements of this article and Article 1 (commencing with Section 44270).
(2) Contract with small business financial development corporations established by the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development to expend funds through the Small Business Loan Guarantee Program if the expenditure is consistent with all of the requirements of this article and Article 1 (commencing with Section 44270).
(3) Advance funds, pursuant to an agreement with the commission, to any of the following:
(A) A public entity.
(B) A recipient to enable it to make advance payments to a public entity that is a subrecipient of the funds and under a binding and enforceable subagreement with the recipient.
(C) An administrator of a block grant program.
(h) The commission shall collaborate with entities that have expertise in workforce development to implement the workforce development components of this section, including, but not limited to, the California Workforce Development Board, the Employment Training Panel, the Employment Development Department, and the Division of Apprenticeship Standards.
(a)(1)The California Transportation Commission, in consultation with the Department of Transportation and the State Air Resources Board, shall maintain guidelines for travel demand models used in the development of regional transportation plans by federally designated metropolitan planning organizations.
(2)Any revision of the guidelines shall include the formation of an advisory committee that shall include representatives of the metropolitan planning organizations, the department, organizations knowledgeable in the creation and use of travel demand models, local governments, and organizations concerned with the impacts of transportation investments on communities and the environment. Before amending the guidelines, the commission shall hold two workshops on the guidelines, one in northern California and one in southern California. The workshops shall be incorporated into regular commission meetings.
(b)The guidelines shall, at a minimum and to the extent practicable, taking into account such factors as the size and available resources of the metropolitan planning organization, account for all of the following:
(1)The relationship between land use density and
household vehicle ownership and vehicle miles traveled in a way that is consistent with statistical research.
(2)The impact of enhanced transit service levels on household vehicle ownership and vehicle miles traveled.
(3)Changes in travel and land development likely to result from highway or passenger rail expansion.
(4)Mode splitting that allocates trips between automobile, transit, carpool, and bicycle and pedestrian trips. If a travel demand model is unable to forecast bicycle and pedestrian trips, another means may be used to estimate those trips.
(5)Speed and frequency, days, and hours of operation of transit service.
