BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1092
SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Senator Jerry Hill, Chair
2013-2014 Regular Session
BILL NO: AB 1092
AUTHOR: Levine
AMENDED: June 10, 2013
FISCAL: Yes HEARING DATE: July 3, 2013
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT: Rebecca
Newhouse
SUBJECT : ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE
SUMMARY :
Existing law ,
1) Under the California Building Standards Law:
a) Requires the Building Standards Commission (BSC) to
publish editions of the California Building Standards
Code in entirety once every three years, and publish
supplements as necessary (Health and Safety Code
�18942).
b) Requires that any building standard adopted or
proposed by state agencies be submitted and approved or
adopted by the BSC prior to codification (HSC �18930).
c) If no state agency has the authority or expertise to
propose green building standards applicable to a
particular occupancy, the commission shall adopt,
approve, codify, update, and publish green building
standards for those occupancies (HSC �18930.5).
2) Requires the Department of Housing and Community
Development (HCD) to propose the adoption, amendment, or
repeal of building standards to the BSC for residential
buildings, including hotels, motels, lodging houses,
apartment houses, dwellings, buildings, and structures (HSC
�17921).
This bill :
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1) Requires the BSC, as part of the next triennial adoption of
the California Building Standards Code, to adopt, approve,
codify, and publish mandatory building standards for the
installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in
multifamily dwellings and non-residential development.
2) Requires the HCD to develop and propose standards for
multifamily dwellings and submit the proposed standards to
the BSC.
3) Requires BSC and HCD to use specified sections of the
California Green Buildings Standards Code as the starting
point for adopting mandatory building standards, and
authorizes those agencies to amend those standards as
necessary.
4) Requires HCD and BSC to consult actively with interested
parties in the proposal and adoption of the standards.
COMMENTS :
1) Purpose of Bill . According to the author, "Currently,
there are no mandatory building standards for electric
vehicle charging infrastructure. This bill directs the
commission to plan for the need of EV infrastructure;
specifically as accelerating the market for ZEVs is a
cornerstone of California's long term transportation
strategy to reduce localized pollution and greenhouse gas
emissions. In looking at the needed infrastructure and
planning now, expensive retrofitting will be avoided in the
future as more and more individuals purchase plug-in
electric vehicles."
2) Building Codes . The California Building Standards Law
establishes the Building Standards Commission (BSC) and the
process for adopting state building codes. Under this
process, relevant state agencies propose amendments to
model building codes, which BSC must then adopt, modify, or
reject. For example, the HCD is the relevant state agency
for residential building codes. The Office of Statewide
Health Planning and Development is responsible for
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hospitals and clinics, and the Division of the State
Architect is the relevant agency for schools and emergency
service buildings. There are approximately 20 state
agencies that develop building standards. However, not all
buildings fall under the jurisdiction of a relevant state
agency.
The BSC maintains a separate chapter of the CBC, known as
the CALGreen Code that contains green building standards.
The purpose of CALGreen is to improve public health,
safety, and general welfare by enhancing the design and
construction of buildings through the use of building
concepts having a reduced negative impact or positive
environmental impact and encouraging sustainable
construction practices in five categories: planning and
design; energy efficiency; water efficiency and
conservation; material conservation and resource
efficiency; and environmental quality. The CALGreen Code
establishes a voluntary standard for the installation of
electric vehicle charging infrastructure in multifamily
dwellings for at least 3% of the total parking spaces to be
capable of supporting future electric vehicle supply
equipment. For non-residential development, the CALGreen
Code establishes a voluntary standard for at least 10% of
total parking spaces to be designated for low-emitting,
fuel-efficient, and carpool/vanpool vehicles, including
electric vehicles. Each local jurisdiction retains the
administrative authority to exceed the CALGreen standards.
3) Electric Vehicles . Mobile sources account for well over
half of the emissions that contribute to ozone and
particulate matter and nearly 40% of the greenhouse gas
emissions in California. In order to help meet California's
health-based air quality standards and greenhouse gas
emission reduction goals, significant gains are needed in
the transportation sector in terms of reduced petroleum
usage. In March 2012, Governor Brown issued an executive
order directing state government to help accelerate the
market for zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) in California. The
Executive Order established several milestones on a path
toward 1.5 million ZEVs in California by the year 2025. In
furtherance of this goal, the Office of Planning and
Research and the State Architect published guidelines this
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month to address physical accessibility standards and
design guidelines for the installation of plug-in electric
vehicle charging stations throughout California. These
guidelines are voluntary and apply to public and private
sites.
As the agency that regulates mobile source pollution, the
Air Resources Board (ARB) has adopted regulations aimed at
transitioning the vehicle fleet to cleaner vehicles that
reduce air pollution and help meet the state's climate
change goals. The Advanced Clean Cars regulatory package
includes a component that requires 15% of new car sales be
zero emission vehicles by 2025 and requires automakers
produce and sell ZEVs, which include plug-in electric
vehicles (PEV) and fuel-cell vehicles. To incentivize the
purchase of electric vehicles, the ARB offers rebates of up
to $2,500 for ZEVs and up to $1,500 for PEVs as a part of
the Air Quality Improvement Program established by AB 118
(Nu�ez) Chapter 750, Statutes of 2007.
In order to realize the state's goals for vehicle fleet
transformation, convenient and cost-effective fueling is
essential, and for PEVs this entails enabling electric
vehicle chargers in homes, workplaces and public spaces. AB
1092 would help ensure that multifamily residences and
non-residential development is designed and constructed in
a way that allows for the future installation of charging
infrastructure for electric vehicle parking stations.
According to a 2012 study completed by the California
Center for Sustainable Energy in coordination with the ARB,
approximately 1,000 new plug-in vehicles are being sold in
the state every month and, in total, Californians own more
than 12,000 plug-in electric vehicles (roughly 35% of all
plug-in vehicles in the United States).
4) Nonresidential development building standards . AB 1092
targets multifamily dwellings and nonresidential
development. The bill specifies that HCD is responsible
for proposing standards for multifamily dwellings. Under
the bill, the mandatory building standards for charging
infrastructure for nonresidential development would not
include schools and hospitals, since the BSC is not the
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relevant agency for proposing building standards for those
building types.
5) Related legislation . AB 2644 (Butler) of 2012 required the
BSC, as a part of the next triennial edition of the
California Building Standards Code adopted after January 1,
2014, to adopt building standards for the construction,
installation, and alteration of electric vehicle charging
stations for parking spaces in single-family residential
real property. That bill was held in the Housing and
Community Development Committee.
SOURCE : Author
SUPPORT : American Planning Association - California
Chapter
Breathe California
California Apartment Association
California Building Industry Association
California Business Properties Association
California State Association of Electrical
Workers
OPPOSITION : None on file