Regulators Bring California Closer to a Clean Transportation Future

(SAN FRANCISCO, CA) The California Public Utilities Commission voted today to approve ambitious utility programs aiming to electrify the state’s transportation system. The decision greenlights $42 million in initiatives for California communities, including using electric school buses to integrate renewable energy, installing charging stations in disadvantaged neighborhoods, and increasing electrification in the medium- and heavy-duty sectors. It also makes clear utilities need to focus on how they can harness the electricity demanded from these new electric vehicles as a tool to strengthen California’s electric grid. This is the first set of projects in a longer-term effort to reduce harmful pollution from transportation.

“Electrifying transportation is critical to meeting our state’s climate and clean energy goals while ensuring clean air for all Californians, particularly the communities hit hardest with harmful pollution. These new projects represent an important step forward in cleaning up the state’s dirtiest sector, bringing us closer to a sustainable future for the Golden State.”  

• Larissa Koehler, Senior Attorney, California Clean Energy