Placer County accepts grant funding for electric vehicle charging stations

Published on January 8, 2019

Placer County continued its commitment to sustainable energy today by accepting a Carl Moyer grant award of $151,669 for new electric charging vehicle stations at county buildings.

County staff will now solicit proposals from private firms to design and install them and will move forward with an acceptable proposal upon approval by the Board of Supervisors.

Placer County submitted a competitive grant application to the Carl Moyer grant program to fund electric charging stations at high-traffic county buildings. The locations proposed included the parking lots of the Placer County Government Center Campus in Auburn, the county administration building at 145 Fulweiler Avenue in Auburn, the 1000 Sunset Boulevard building in Rocklin and building B at the Santucci Justice Center in Roseville.

The Carl Moyer grant program is a statewide initiative that provides competitive grant opportunities for projects that aim to reduce emissions, moving California closer to meeting its clean air initiatives. Grant recipients are chosen by local air quality control districts.Through a survey, Placer County Capital Improvements Division found that residents, visitors and employees would benefit from “pay to use” electric vehicle charging stations.

If approved, the project would be consistent with the goals of the Placer County Government Center Master Plan, an update to which was approved by the county Board of Supervisors to begin in 2016. The plan includes a guiding principle of integrating sustainability for the campus, specifically to “incorporate sustainable building practices embracing zero net water and energy strategies.”  

The master plan is a 20-year plan with phased improvements of infrastructure and facilities across the campus, including both public and private commercial development opportunities. A natural synergy for the campus plan will be to bring electric vehicle charging stations to strategic locations of the campus to provide the community a convenient place to charge while receiving public services.