San Francisco environment officials will soon accept a state grant of $2.3 million to kickstart a local vehicle electrification plan, following a go-ahead from the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.
The grant comes from the California Energy Commission's alternative and renewable fuel and vehicle technology program and it will help launch the city's Electric Vehicle Ready Blueprint through 2024.
Mayor London Breed launched a six-pronged roadmap in 2019 to make all city transportation electric by 2040. With recent emissions data pointing to the city's transportation sector as the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, shifting to electric vehicles is a big priority in San Francisco's Climate Action Plan.
The blueprint spells out how City staff, private partners and community members can expand vehicle electrification -- noting public awareness campaigns, more charging stations and shifting delivery-app workers to e-bikes, among other efforts.
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The state commission distributes up to $100 million a year to transportation and fuel projects throughout California, and prioritizes projects that incorporate both public and private investments.
At Tuesday's meeting, Board of Supervisors President Shamann Walton thanked the San Francisco Department of Environment -- recipient of the grant -- for including community voices in determining where charging stations will be located. He stressed that residential input is essential as city officials finalize installation details.
"I'm definitely excited about opportunities to bring EV charging stations to communities, particularly in areas where we are underserved by charging stations, and making sure that they are equitably distributed," Walton said.
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Supervisor Aaron Peskin was the only supervisor who voted against the ordinance, who briefly said it was "not competitively bid, and could have been."
Just in September, the board passed a mayor-sponsored ordinance to expedite the expansion of public EV charging stations by amending the city's planning code.
