Bill Text: CA SB726 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Alternative fuel and vehicle technologies: sustainable transportation.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2022-08-25 - Ordered to inactive file on request of Assembly Member Reyes. [SB726 Detail]
Download: California-2021-SB726-Amended.html
Amended
IN
Assembly
June 16, 2021 |
Amended
IN
Senate
April 21, 2021 |
Amended
IN
Senate
April 13, 2021 |
Amended
IN
Senate
March 11, 2021 |
Introduced by Senator Gonzalez (Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Reyes) (Coauthors: Senators Archuleta, Min, and Stern) |
February 19, 2021 |
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:SEC. 2.
Section 43018.4 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:43018.4.
(a) (1) (A) The state board and the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, in coordination with the Public Utilities Commission, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, the Department of Transportation, the California Transportation Commission, and the Department of General Services, shall jointly develop a comprehensive transportation sustainability strategy, which shall be known as the Sustainable Transportation Strategy.SEC. 3.
Section 44272 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:44272.
(a) The Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program is hereby established. The program shall be administered by the commission. The commission shall implement the program by regulation pursuant to the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code). The program shall provide, upon appropriation by the Legislature, competitive grants, revolving loans, loan guarantees, loans, or other appropriate funding measures to public agencies, vehicle and technology entities, businesses and projects, public-private partnerships, workforce training partnerships and collaboratives, fleet owners, consumers, recreational boaters, and academic institutions to develop and deploy innovative technologies that transform California’s fuel and vehicle types to help reduce criteria air pollutants and air toxics and attain the state’s climate change policies. The emphasis of this program shall be to develop and deploy technology and alternative and renewable fuels in the marketplace, without adopting any one preferred fuel or technology.(c)(1)The commission shall expend at least 50 percent of the moneys appropriated to the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program for projects that benefit low-income and disadvantaged communities.
(2)For purposes of this
section, the following definitions apply:
(A)“Disadvantaged community” means a community that is within an area identified as among the most disadvantaged 25 percent in the state according to the California Environmental Protection Agency and based on the most recent California Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool, also known as CalEnviroScreen.
(B)“Low-income community” has the same meaning as defined in Section 39713.
(d)The commission shall provide preferences to those projects that maximize the goals of the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program, based on the following criteria, as applicable:
(1)The project’s
ability to reduce criteria air pollutants and air toxics, with prioritization for projects that reduce these emissions in emissions-overburdened communities and low-income communities.
(2)The project’s ability to provide the advanced vehicle infrastructure needed to support the zero-emission and alternative-fueled vehicle deployment to meet the state’s climate goals, with prioritization for projects that advance infrastructure that supports alternative vehicle deployment in disadvantaged and low-income communities. These state climate goals include, but are not limited to, any of the following:
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
(F)
(G)
(H)
(I)
(3)
(4)
(5)The project uses existing or proposed fueling infrastructure to maximize the outcome of the project.
(6)The project drives new technology advancement for vehicles, vessels, engines, and other equipment, and promotes the deployment of that technology in the marketplace.
(7)
(e)The commission shall rank applications for projects proposed for funding awards based on solicitation criteria developed in accordance with subdivision (d), and shall give additional preference to funding those projects with higher benefit-cost scores, with a certain percentage of funding allocated for incentives for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles used by owner operators and small fleet owners in the goods movement industry.
(f)The following shall be eligible and shall receive prioritization for funding:
(1)Medium- and heavy-duty vehicle infrastructure
research, prototype, pilot, demonstration, planning and technical assistance, and deployment projects that reduce and eliminate emissions from fleets in the goods movement, public transit, and agriculture sectors for on- and off-road vehicles.
(2)Infrastructure deployment and related workforce training programs for light-, medium- and heavy-duty alternative-fueled vehicles, that support access to alternative-fueled vehicles in disadvantaged and low-income communities. Projects may include planning and technical assistance, public, private, and shared light-duty charging networks, infrastructure deployment for multidwelling units, public and shared infrastructure within alternative fuel corridors, as designated by the United States Department of Transportation, utility distribution system upgrades, and grid integration technologies
to support those vehicle technologies, specifically including grid integration technologies to support those technologies.
(g)The following may be eligible for funding:
(1)Medium- and heavy-duty vehicle research, prototype, pilot, demonstration, and deployment projects for on- and off-road vehicles.
(2)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.
(3)Demonstration and deployment projects that optimize alternative and renewable fuels for existing and developing engine technologies.
(4)Projects to produce alternative and renewable low-carbon fuels in California.
(5)Projects to decrease the overall impact of an alternative and renewable fuel’s life-cycle carbon footprint and increase sustainability.
(6)Alternative and renewable fuel infrastructure, fueling stations, and equipment.
(7)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.
(8)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.
(9)Programs and projects to retrofit medium- and heavy-duty onroad 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.
(10)Infrastructure projects that promote alternative and renewable fuel infrastructure development connected with
existing fleets, public transit, and existing transportation corridors, including physical measurement or metering equipment and truck stop electrification.
(11)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.
(12)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. The commission may consider establishing multiyear grants to ensure the efficient
use of public dollars and provide certainty to industry.
(13)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.
(14)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.
(h)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.
(i)The commission may do all of the following:
(1)Contract with the Treasurer to expend funds through programs implemented by the Treasurer, including the California Capital Access Program, 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.
(4)Periodically review incentive programs to ensure they do both of the following:
(A)Provide efficient disbursement of dollars and improve multiyear market development.
(B)Provide for novel and innovative business models that support technology innovation by being inclusive and neutral to diverse vehicles, charging use cases, and business models.
(j)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.