Governor Newsom Signs Bill to Help California’s Power Grid Keep Up with State’s Transition to Electric Vehicles

SACRAMENTO, October 7, 2023 – Environmental Defense Fund today praised Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature of SB 410 to help ease the state’s adoption of electric vehicles and bolster the readiness of the state’s energy grid for resulting increases in energy demand.

“This bill will make the transition to electric vehicles more convenient for families and businesses,” said Katelyn Roedner Sutter, California State Director at Environmental Defense Fund. “Delays in connecting new electric vehicle chargers to the grid jeopardize the ease of access required to propel the transition away from fossil fuels. These new requirements on utilities to develop the infrastructure to support this change and the accompanying growth in energy demand will prove vital. The stakes could not be higher. Transportation is responsible for half of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions and this decade provides our best chance to protect Californians from the most dangerous impacts of climate change – including extreme heat, drought and wildfires, along with harmful pollution.”

Consumers face wide-ranging timelines, even delays, to connect new electrical home appliances or upgrade electrical distribution lines to connect new electric vehicle chargers to the grid. As these installations grow, energy demand will grow – especially as the state phases in its first-in-the-nation requirement that all cars and light trucks sold in California must be zero-emission vehicles by 2035. SB 410 sets average and target time periods for grid connections and upgrades. It also directs utilities to create long-term plans to develop the electric infrastructure to support this growth in energy demand.