BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2583
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 23, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Bonnie Lowenthal, Chair
AB 2583 (Blumenfield) - As Amended: April 9, 2012
SUBJECT : Alternatively fueled vehicles: state fleet: public
parking.
SUMMARY : Requires the Department of General Services (DGS) and
the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to
increase use of and infrastructure support for alternatively
fueled vehicles (AFVs). Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires DGS to purchase new vehicles that are alternatively
fueled according to the following schedule:
a) 50% of all new vehicles purchased beginning January 1,
2013; and,
b) 100% of new vehicles purchased beginning January 1,
2015.
2)Exempts from this provision types of vehicles for which
alternatively fueled vehicles are not available.
3)Requires DGS to encourage the operation of alternatively
fueled state vehicles on the alternative fuel that the vehicle
was designed for.
4)Requires DGS to encourage develop commercial infrastructure
for alternative fuel pumps and charging stations at or near
state vehicle fueling or parking sites.
5)Requires DGS to work with other public agencies to incentivize
and promote state employee operation of alternatively fueled
vehicles through preferential or reduced-cost parking, access
to charging, or other means.
6)Authorizes DGS to provide grants or enter into interagency
agreements to implement the requirements of this bill.
7)Defines "alternatively fueled vehicles" as light-, medium-,
and heavy-duty vehicles that reduce petroleum usage and
related emissions by using advanced technologies and fuels,
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including, but not limited to, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, battery
electric, natural gas, or fuel cell vehicles.
8)Requires DGS and Caltrans to develop and implement advanced
technology vehicle parking incentive programs in DGS-operated
public parking facilities with 50 spaces or more and
Caltrans-operated park and ride lots to incentivize the
purchase and use of AFVs in the state.
9)Requires the parking incentive programs developed by DGS and
Caltrans to provide meaningful, tangible benefits to AFV
drivers, and allows these incentives to include preferential
spaces, reduced fees, and fueling infrastructure for AFVs that
use these parking facilities or park and ride lots.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Establishes the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006,
requiring the Air Resources Board (ARB) to establish a
statewide greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions limit and to reduce
GhG emissions to 1990 levels.
2)Establishes DGS as the business manager for the state,
offering centralized procurement of goods, services and real
estate; property management; and fleet administration, among
other things. DGS is authorized to conduct procurements on
behalf of local governments and other public entities as a
means of reducing state and local government costs through the
leveraged purchasing power gained because of a larger buying
pool.
3)Requires all new state fleet purchases of passenger vehicles
and light duty trucks, powered solely by internal combustion
engines utilizing fossil fuels, to meet the fuel economy
standard established by DGS and California Energy Commission
(CEC) on or after January 1, 2008.
4)Requires the Secretary of State and Consumer Services, in
consultation with DGS and other appropriate agencies that
maintain or purchase vehicles, to develop and implement a plan
with the goal of improving use of alternative fuels, synthetic
lubricants, and fuel-efficient vehicles by reducing or
displacing the consumption of petroleum products by the state
fleet when compared to 2003 consumption levels.
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a) Requires that the plan be submitted to the Legislature
and the Governor.
b) Requires that the plan implement the following schedule:
i. 10% reduction or displacement by January 1, 2012;
and,
ii. 20% reduction or displacement by January 1, 2020.
1)Requires DGS to provide the Department of Finance (DOF) and
the Legislature a progress report on their efforts to meet the
overall goals of the Plan beginning on April 1, 2010, and
annually thereafter and that the progress report be published
on DGSs Internet Web site.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : According to the author's office, "California has a
goal that by 2025 zero-emission or plug-in hybrid vehicles will
account for 15%, or one in seven, new cars sold in California.
If achieved, having this number of AFVs on California roadways
is expected to reduce vehicular GhG emissions by 80% by 2050.
According to the California Air Resources Board (CARB), in order
to meet the 2050 GhG goal, vehicles across the state will need
to be primarily composed of advanced technology vehicles such as
electric and fuel cell vehicles by 2035. By establishing new
alternative fuel targets for California's state fleet, as well
as incentivizing and promoting state employee operation of AFVs
through preferential or reduced-cost parking, access to
charging, or other means, it is expected that the state will not
only reduce emissions from the state-owned fleet, but will also
help reduce barriers that currently restrict consumers from
buying AFVs.
Background . DGS procures vehicle fleet purchases on behalf of
state agencies. There are existing federal and state laws, and
state executive orders, directing DGS to green the state fleet.
DGS has met or exceeded those requirements, which are discussed
below.
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The Federal Energy Policy Act (EPA) requires that 75% of new
vehicle purchases, with certain exceptions, be capable of
running on alternative fuels. DGS has been compliant with the
EPA since its enactment in 1992 and, in some years, already
exceeded the 75% requirement. According to DGS, in fiscal year
2009-10, 99% of new vehicle purchases were AFVs, but 106
vehicles were exempt from the EPA definition of AFV, which does
not include hybrid or hybrid electric vehicles. Based on the
EPA definition of AFV, DGS was 86% compliant with the law. This
bill would include hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles in the
definition of an AFV.
California has taken measures to reduce GhG emissions from state
vehicles and encourage the use of AFVs. In 2005, the Governor
issued EO S-3-05 and established the GhG reduction targets to:
by 2010, reduce GHG emissions to 2000 levels; by 2020, reduce
GHG emissions to 1990 levels; by 2050, reduce GHG emissions to
80 percent below 1990 levels.
AB 32 (Nu�ez), Chapter 488, Statutes of 2006, established the
Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which required CARB to
establish a statewide GhG emissions limit and reduce GhG
emissions to 1990 levels. AB 236 (Lieu), Chapter 593, Statutes
of 2007, established the goal of reducing or displacing the
consumption of petroleum products by the state fleet when
compared to the 2003 consumption levels based on the following
schedule: 10% by January 1, 2012, and 20% by January 1, 2020.
As a result of these measures, DGS is currently working to
expand the use of AFVs on alternative fuels.
This bill requires DGS to encourage, to the extent feasible, the
operation of state AFVs on the alternative fuel for which the
vehicle is designed and the development of commercial
infrastructure for alternative fuel pumps and charging stations
at or near state vehicle fueling or parking sites. DGS is
currently implementing this bill's provisions. DGS was awarded
United States Department of Energy and CEC grants to establish
approximately 75 new E85 (flexible fuel from 100% gasoline to
85% gasoline/15% ethanol) fueling locations statewide. To date,
15 E85/biodiesel locations have been completed. DGS recently
installed 24 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at five
state parking facilities in Sacramento and is applying for
grants to install additional EV charging stations.
This bill requires DGS to work with other public agencies to
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incentivize state employee use of AFVs and authorizes DGS to
provide grants or enter into interagency agreements to implement
the provisions of this bill. DGS has indicated that they
already offer state employees incentives for using AFVs and will
be developing a policy and expanding those efforts in the next
few months. DGS is also expecting to enter into an interagency
agreement for an outreach and marketing campaign to promote AFV
usage.
This bill requires DGS to purchase AFVs at a rate of 50% of new
vehicle purchases beginning January 1, 2013, and 100% of new
vehicle purchases beginning January 1, 2015. This bill would
mandate state agencies to purchase AFVs, beginning in 2015, for
light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles. Currently, state
agencies have the option of buying an AFV. While this bill
exempts AFVs if certain types of vehicles are unavailable,
certain agencies whose work is related to law enforcement,
transportation, and construction may wish to purchase vehicles
that are not AFVs.
According to Caltrans' website, the department has taken a
number of proactive steps toward greater use of AFV by
purchasing and utilizing AFVs and developing supporting AFV
infrastructure. The Caltrans Fleet Greening Program began as a
five-year plan in August 2000 to reduce emissions from the
Caltrans fleet, stay ahead of emerging regulations, and set the
example for the use of emerging, clean air technologies. Today
Caltrans' policies continue to promote an efficient fleet mix
and use of efficient, low emission vehicles to lower Caltrans'
use of petroleum as well as reduce emissions of criteria air
pollutants and GhGs. Through a combination of regulation
compliance, state purchasing policies, and innovative programs
Caltrans uses hybrid passenger vehicles, solar-powered
equipment, propane-fueled vehicles. Caltrans also indicates
that it operates two hydrogen demonstration vehicles and
established various E-85 fuel ethanol demonstration projects.
According to CALSTART, "California's state fleet should clearly
reflect the state's clean air and advanced vehicle mandates. AB
2583 would transition the state fleet toward clean vehicles and
ensure that state-owned garages support and encourage the use of
these vehicles.
"The benefits of proactively transitioning the state fleet from
status-quo 'dirty' petroleum and toward cleaner alternatives
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would be significant. In addition to directly reducing
emissions, the bill would show real commitment on the part of
California to meet its climate and air quality targets
accelerate clean transportation technologies by supporting
crucial early markets for alternative fuels. Moreover, in an
era of high and volatile fuel prices, reducing dependence on
petroleum will yield direct fuel cost savings for California.
Double-referral . This bill was heard in the Business,
Professions and Consumer Protection Committee and was passed
with 9 votes in favor and none opposed.
Previous legislation : AB 236 (Lieu) Chapter 593, Statutes of
2007 revised current policies regarding the purchase of vehicles
for state and local government fleets in order to increase fuel
efficiency and the use of alternative fuels.
AB 32 (Nu�ez), Chapter 488, Statutes of 2006, established the
Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which requires ARB to
establish a statewide GhG emissions limit and to reduce GhG
emissions to 1990 levels.
AB 2264 (Pavley), Chapter 767, Statutes of 2006, which required
DGS, in consultation with the State Energy Resources
Conservation and Development Commission to establish a minimum
fuel economy standard for the purchase of all state fleet
vehicles powered by internal combustion engines utilizing fossil
fuels, and mandated DGS and any other state entity, as defined,
to purchase new state passenger and light duty vehicles in
accordance with that minimum fuel economy standard.
AB 1357 (Ruskin) of 2005, would have required the Director of
DGS to compile and maintain information on the number of bifuel
natural gas and bifuel propane vehicles purchased or leased by
the state during the year, the total number owned or leased as
of December 31 of each year, and the total amount of fuel used
during the year by those vehicles, itemized by type of fuel, as
of December 31 of each year. That bill was vetoed by the
Governor.
AB 1660 (Pavley), Chapter 580, Statutes of 2005, enacted the
California Energy-Efficient Vehicle Group Purchase Program to
encourage the purchase of energy-efficient vehicles by local and
state agencies through a group-purchasing program that uses the
purchasing leverage of state and local agencies to lower the
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purchase price of those vehicles.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
CALSTART
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Victoria Alvarez / TRANS. / (916) 319-
2093