BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 454|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 454
Author: Corbett (D)
Amended: 5/24/13
Vote: 21
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE : 6-3, 4/9/13
AYES: DeSaulnier, Beall, Galgiani, Lara, Liu, Pavley
NOES: Gaines, Cannella, Wyland
NO VOTE RECORDED: Hueso, Roth
SENATE ENERGY, UTIL.& COMMUNIC.COMM. : 6-4, 4/30/13
AYES: Padilla, Corbett, De Le�n, DeSaulnier, Pavley, Wolk
NOES: Fuller, Cannella, Knight, Wright
NO VOTE RECORDED: Hill
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 5-2, 5/23/13
AYES: De Le�n, Hill, Lara, Padilla, Steinberg
NOES: Walters, Gaines
SUBJECT : Electric vehicle charging stations
SOURCE : Plug In America
DIGEST : This bill prohibits the provider of an electric
vehicle (EV) charging station from requiring a subscription or
membership as a condition of using the station; requires the
total actual charges for the use of an EV charging station,
including any network roaming charges, be disclosures at the
point of sale; and requires that an EV charging station accept
payment by credit card or mobile technology, or both.
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ANALYSIS : Existing federal law requires a manufacturer of an
EV fuel dispensing system to determine the electric charge of a
system and affix a permanent legible marking or permanently
attached label that discloses the manufacturer's name, the model
number, serial number, or other identifier of the system, and
the fuel rating. (16 Code of Federal Regulations Part 309)
Existing state law:
1. Exempts from the definition of a public utility a facility
that supplies electricity to the public only for use to
charge light duty plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs). (Public
Utilities Code Section 216)
2. Requires that 22% of the vehicles produced and delivered for
sale in California by specified manufacturers be
zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) by 2025. (California
Administrative Code (CAC) Title 13, Section 1962)
3. Requires all new PEVs to be equipped with a conductive
charger inlet and charging system which meets all the
specifications contained in Society of Automotive Engineers
Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice and be equipped with an
on-board charger with a minimum specified output. (CAC Title
13, Section 1962)
This bill:
1. Prohibits the provider of an EV charging station which
requires payment of a fee from requiring a user to pay a
subscription fee or obtain membership in order to use the
station.
2. Requires the total charges for the use of the electric
charging station, including any additional network roaming
charges for nonmembers, be disclosed to the public as the
point of sale.
3. Requires the provider of an EV charging station to accept
payment via credit card or via mobile technology or both.
4. Requires the provider of EV service equipment at an EV
charging station to disclose to the public and the National
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Renewable Energy Laboratory the station's geographic
location, a schedule of fees, accepted methods of payment,
and the amount of network roaming fees charges for
nonmembers.
5. Authorizes the provider to label charging stations in
accordance with federal regulations and, where commercially
reasonable and feasible, clearly mark the way to the station
with appropriate directional signage.
6. If no interoperability billing standards are developed by a
national standards organization by January 1, 2015, the Air
Resources Board (ARB) may adopt interoperability billing
standards for network roaming payment methods for EV charging
stations. If the ARB adopts such standards, all EV charging
stations which require payment must meet those standards
within one year. Requires any standards adopted by ARB
consider other governmental or industry-developed
interoperability billing standards, and allows ARB to adopt
interoperability billing standards promulgated by an outside
authoritative body.
5. Requires the ARB to maintain a toll-free telephone number and
e-mail or Internet Web site to collect customer complaints
about EV charging stations and make a summary of the
complaints available to the public. Allows ARB to respond to
the complaints, and requires ARB summarize the complaints by
number and type and make the summary available on the public
annually.
Background
ZEV Executive Order . In 2012, Governor Brown signed an
executive order laying the foundation for 1.5 million ZEVs on
California's roadways by 2025 which came on the heels of a ARB
mandate on the largest automakers to derive 22% of their annual
California sales from PEVs and other zero or near-zero emissions
vehicles by 2025.
The Governor's executive order set the following targets:
By 2015, all major cities in California will have adequate
infrastructure and be ZEV ready;
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By 2020, the state will have established adequate
infrastructure to support one million ZEVs in California;
By 2025, there will be 1.5 million ZEVs on the road in
California; and
By 2050, virtually all personal transportation in the state
will be based on ZEVs, and greenhouse gas emissions from the
transportation sector will be reduced by 80% below 1990
levels.
As a result of the order an interagency working group was
established with oversight by the Governor's Office of Planning
and Research (OPR) which released the "2013 Zero-emission
Vehicle Action Plan" in February. The Plan identifies specific
strategies and actions that state agencies will take to meet the
milestones of the executive order focusing on four broad goals
to advance ZEVs: complete needed infrastructure and planning;
expand consumer awareness and demand; transform fleets; and grow
jobs and investment in the private sector.
The Plan acknowledged the unique fueling infrastructure required
for ZEVs which is fundamentally different for each vehicle type.
"PEV primarily rely on strategically deployed charging stations
in a variety of locations including drivers' homes, workplaces,
fleet facilities and public places such as parking lots and
parking garages. The process of installing PEV charging
stations can sometimes be complex, protracted and expensive."
The Plan called for the development of interoperability
standards for EV charging stations that allow all drivers to
charge at a station regardless of membership in a vehicle
charging network.
Related to this bill the OPR action plan specifically calls for
requiring that future state-funded PEV charging stations are
open to the public and accessible to all PEV drivers regardless
of drivers' memberships or subscriptions to EV supply equipment
networks and that industry efforts are encouraged "to develop
interoperability standards for EV charging stations that enable
PEV drivers to locate and reserve public charging stations and
be billed regardless of drivers' memberships or subscriptions to
a network of EV chargers."
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
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Local: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
One-time cost pressures of up to $370,000 (special fund) in
fiscal year 2013-14 to develop billing standards.
Ongoing costs of approximately $370,000 (special fund) for
maintaining data on its Web site and responding to public
complaints.
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/24/13)
Plug In America (source)
American Planning Association, California Chapter
Greenlots
NRG Energy, Inc.
Sierra Club California
University of California Los Angeles Luskin Center for
Innovation
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office, EV
charging stations are currently not as convenient as gas
stations. The public has access to only a few stations, and
these stations offer few payment options. Most charging
stations require a subscription or membership, forcing drivers
to buy several memberships and carry them in order to drive
longer distances. The author's office believes this bill will
provide the framework for EV charging stations to operate
similarly to gas stations, allowing drivers to use their credit
cards or phone to pay for charging. Facilitating charging will
assist the state in achieving its ZEV, greenhouse gas emission
reduction, and air pollution reduction goals, as well as reduce
the state's dependence on oil.
JA:k 5/24/13 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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