BILL ANALYSIS �
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
AB 2583 (Blumenfield) - Alternatively fueled vehicles: state
fleet: public parking.
Amended: July 6, 2012 Policy Vote: GO 7-5 T&H 7-2
Urgency: No Mandate: No
Hearing Date: August 6, 2012 Consultant:
Bob Franzoia
This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.
Bill Summary: AB 2583 would require the Department of General
Services (department) to purchase, or approve contracts for the
purchase of, new vehicles for the state fleet that are
alternatively fueled vehicles and make related infrastructure
improvements.
Fiscal Impact: Potentially minor costs annually from the Service
Revolving Fund as the department is generally implementing the
provisions of this bill.
Beginning 2015, major General Fund and special fund costs
to state agencies, for example CalFIRE, Caltrans and
Department of Water Resources to purchase alternatively
fueled medium or heavy duty vehicles.
Unknown, likely major General Fund and special fund costs
to purchase alternatively fueled vehicles that may not be as
cost effective to operate as standard fuel vehicles.
Major General Fund and special fund cost pressure to
develop new infrastructure, incentive preferential or
reduced cost parking, or provide grants for these purposes.
Background: As noted in the policy committee analysis, the
department procures vehicle fleet purchases on behalf of state
agencies. There are several existing federal and state laws and
state executive orders directing the department to purchase
vehicles for the state fleet that meet higher emission
standards. The department indicates it already meets or exceeds
those requirements.
This bill requires the department to encourage, to the extent
feasible, the operation of state alternatively fueled vehicles
on the alternative fuel for which the vehicle is designed and
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the development of commercial infrastructure for alternative
fuel pumps and charging stations at or near state vehicle
fueling or parking sites. The department indicates it is
implementing this provision.
The department was awarded US Department of Energy and
California Energy Commission grants to establish approximately
75 new E85 (flexible fuel from 100 percent gasoline to 85
percent gasoline/15 percent ethanol) locations statewide. To
date, 15 E85/biodiesel locations have been completed. The
department 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.
The department would be required to work with other public
agencies to incentivize state employee use of alternatively
fueled vehicles and authorizes the department to provide grants
or enter into interagency agreements to implement the provisions
of this bill. The department indicates that they are offering
state employees' incentives for using alternatively fueled
vehicles and will be developing a policy and expanding those
efforts in the next few months. The department is also
expecting to enter into an interagency agreement for an outreach
and marketing campaign to promote alternatively fueled vehicle
usage.
This bill requires the department to purchase alternatively
fueled vehicles at a rate of 50 percent of new vehicle purchases
beginning January 1, 2013, and 100 percent of new vehicle
purchases beginning January 1, 2015. This bill would mandate
state agencies to purchase alternatively fueled vehicles,
beginning in 2015, for light, medium, and heavy-duty vehicles.
Currently, state agencies have the option of buying an
alternatively fueled vehicle.
Proposed Law: The department would have the following duties:
- Encourage the operation of state alternatively fueled vehicles
on the alternative fuel for which the vehicle is designed.
- Encouraged to develop commercial infrastructure for
alternative fuel pumps and charging stations and to work with
other state agencies to incentivize and promote state employee
operation of alternatively fueled vehicles through preferential
or reduced cost parking, access to charging stations, or other
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means.
- Authorize the department to provide grants or enter into
interagency agreements to implement these goals.
- Require the department and Caltrans to implement advanced
technology vehicle parking incentive programs in specified
public parking facilities to incentivize the purchase of
alternatively fueled vehicles in the state.
- Exempt from a prohibition relating to commercial activities on
fringe or transportation corridor parking facilities under the
jurisdiction of Caltrans a person implementing advanced
technology vehicle parking incentive programs.
Related Legislation: AB 236 (Lieu) Chapter 593/2007 required the
department, in conjunction with the Air Resources Board and the
California Energy Commission, by December 31, 2008, to amend and
revise existing purchasing methodology to rank environmental and
energy benefits, and costs of motor vehicles for potential
procurement by state and local governments and to develop a
vehicle ranking containing specified criteria.
In particular, AB 236 amended Public Resources Code 25722.5 to
require the department to:
- Evaluate and score emissions, fuel costs, and fuel economy in
addition to capital cost to enable the department to choose the
vehicle with the lowest life-cycle cost when awarding a state
vehicle procurement contract.
- Maximize the purchase or lease of alternative fuel vehicles.
AB 236 also maintained the exemption for generally police,
firefighting, public safety and emergency vehicles.