SDG&E gets greenlight to launch major program to build chargers for electric buses, trucks and more
San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) is launching a project to help electrify large vehicles and industrial equipment, revving up zero-emission transportation beyond passenger vehicles.
SDG&E received approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to build charging infrastructure for a minimum of 3,000 plug-in medium-duty and heavy-duty (MD/HD) electric vehicles and equipment, including transit buses, school buses, delivery trucks and forklifts. This initiative also supports the electrification of refrigerated semi-truck trailers, which are vital for transporting perishable goods.
“Imagine a future where zero-emission trucks carry produce and merchandise to your local stores and zero-emission school buses pick up and drop off your children,” said Estela de Llanos, vice president of clean transportation, sustainability and chief environmental officer at SDG&E. “With this new initiative, our region is headed to a new phase of the clean transportation movement.”
Currently, the vast majority of charging infrastructure in the region is built for passenger cars, according to SDG&E. The new project will be a large-scale program for the region to build chargers for local businesses and public agencies looking to transition to zero-emission transportation. The program will be implemented over five years and will also help stimulate a new economic sector that’s emerging to support the installation and maintenance of charging equipment.
Part of this approval is a new technology where buses can provide energy back to the grid. The vehicle-to-grid pilot for electric school buses will have large batteries on school buses that will soak up electrons from the grid when energy is plentiful—such as during the day when there is abundant solar power—and discharge the energy when there is high demand on the power grid.
The state’s transportation sector accounts for more than 40 percent of all greenhouse gases (GHGs), according to the California Air Resources Board (CARB). There is a statewide mandate to reduce GHGs by 40 percent below the 1990 level by 2030.
To clean up the air in areas suffering from the highest levels of pollution, socio-economic distress and health impacts, 30 percent of the charging equipment installed through the MD/HD program will be targeted at vehicles and equipment that are based in those areas.
“Electrifying heavy-duty trucking in the border region and across San Diego County can help to improve the air that our communities breathe,” said David Flores, community development director of Casa Familiar, an organization devoted to protecting the quality of life for the border communities of San Ysidro and beyond. “SDG&E’s program is an important step for cleaner air.”
When local EV drivers plug in their vehicles, they are charging with 45 percent of energy from renewable sources, such as solar and wind. That is more than four times higher than the national average of about 10 percent, according to SDG&E.
SDG&E's MD/HD program was developed under the Clean Energy & Pollution Reduction Act, Senate Bill 350 (SB 350), which recognizes that widespread transportation electrification is required to meet the state's goals to reduce GHGs.
To support the adoption of MD/HD electric vehicles and equipment, SDG&E also recently filed an application with the CPUC for permission to create a new optional electricity pricing plan that would increase the price competitiveness of electricity as a transportation fuel for businesses that make the switch to electrically powered equipment.
The MD/HD program builds on SDG&E’s clean transportation initiatives. Under the Power Your Drive program, SDG&E has installed around 3,000 chargers at apartments, condo complexes and workplaces. As part of separate pilot programs, SDG&E is also installing charging equipment for electric delivery vehicles and shuttles, ground support equipment at the San Diego International Airport, and trucks, forklifts and other equipment at the Port of San Diego.
