Santa Barbara County receives $4.7 million Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Grant

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. -- The County of Santa Barbara will receive $4.7 million dollar Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Grant from the California Energy Commission.

The grant was the second-largest award given. The grant does require a $2.3 million match from Santa Barbara County in staff time and capital investment.

The grant was funded to support the County with its Zero Emission Vehicle transition.

It will allow the installation of 114 Level-2 and 36 level-3 charging ports at 14 different locations throughout Santa Barbara County.

The grant was competitive and was achieved with the help from the County’s General Services Department, with support from the Community Services Department and Terra Lumina Consulting.

According to a press release from the County, the grant must fund projects that:

• Support electrification of light-duty government fleets in California by providing reliable and
  readily accessible electric vehicle charging infrastructure dedicated for these fleets.
• Support local government goals of sustainability and/or climate action plans.
• Reduce vehicle emissions in disadvantaged and/or low-income communities

Since 2013, the County of Santa Barbara said they have made significant strides in its electric vehicle program.

The County's motor pool began with just four all-electric vehicles and has expanded into a fleet of 93 electric vehicles.

The County's goal with the Zero Emission Vehicle Policy is to install enough charging locations to sustain
an all-electric vehicle fleet and ensure people can charge when needed.

There are a total of 217 charging stations throughout the region, the County said an all-electric vehicle fleet is a major help in reducing operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

With the current grant, the deadline to install the new chargers is April 30, 2028.

Once completed, the County will have more than 367 chargers installed throughout the region.