On Thursday, state regulators approved a series of proposals that will allow California's electric utility companies to spend $768 million on charging infrastructure for electric cars, trucks, and buses.
The programs were unanimously approved by the California Public Utilities Commission and focus more on creating the proper framework to support charging stations for electric trucks and buses as opposed to electric cars which were previously the main focus.
The programs will be funded by the California utility companies' customers and the charging stations will primarily be located in disadvantaged communities and in facilities that tend to be located near low-income neighborhoods.
State officials see electrifying heavy-duty vehicles as a way to fight both global warming and air pollution as transportation accounts for 40 percent of California's greenhouse gas emissions.
Together, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and Southern California Edison will work together to install chargers at more than 1,570 sites, supporting 15,000 medium- or heavy-duty vehicles like school buses. These direct-current fast-charging stations can add 50 to 70 miles of range to a car’s battery in 20 minutes.
PG&E estimated that a typical residential customer would pay an increase of 28 cents more per month on top of their bill to fund the programs.
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