Alternative Fuels Vehicle Readiness Plan

297 Pages·2016·6.65 MB·English

Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle
Technology Program

C C A F
ENTRAL OAST LTERNATIVE UEL
V R P
EHICLE EADINESS LAN

E C
NCOMPASSING THE OUNTIES OF
V , S B , S L O
ENTURA ANTA ARBARA AND AN UIS BISPO

Prepared for: California Energy Commission
Prepared by: EV Alliance in collaboration with the
County of Santa Barbara and the Central Coast
Alternative Fuel Vehicle Coordinating Council

MAY 2016
CEC- ARV- 13 - 017
Prepared by:

Primary Author(s):
Richard Schorske
EV Alliance

under contract to the Long Range Planning
Division Planning and Development
Department County of Santa Barbara
123 E. Anapamu St. Santa
Barbara, CA 93101
Agreement Number: ARV 13-017
Prepared for:

California Energy Commission

Patrick Brecht
Commission Agreement Manager

David Lackie
Grantee Project Manager

Robert P. Oglesby
Commission Executive Director

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DISCLAIMER

This report was prepared as the result of work sponsored by the California Energy Commission. It
does not necessarily represent the views of the Energy Commission, its employees or the State of
California. The Energy Commission, the State of California, its employees, contractors and
subcontractors make no warrant, express or implied, and assume no legal liability for the information
in this report; nor does any party represent that the uses of this information will not infringe upon
privately owned rights. This report has not been approved or disapproved by the California Energy
Commission nor has the California Energy Commission passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of
the information in this report.

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Acknowledgement

Funding and Administration of the Central Coast Alternative Fuel Vehicle Planning Process:
The development of the Central Coast Alternative Fuel Vehicle Plan was initiated by the joint
efforts of the County of Santa Barbara, C5 – the Clean Cities Coalition of the Central Coast, the
Community Environmental Council of Santa Barbara, and the Air Pollution Control Districts of
Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Counties. Key leaders from these organizations
formed the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Coordinating Council Steering Committee and obtained
funding for tri-county PEV planning from the California Energy Commission (CEC), in
collaboration with the Electric Vehicle Alliance. The CEC grant was administered by the County of
Santa Barbara on behalf of the AFV Coordinating Council

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Assembly Bill 118 (Núñez, Chapter 750, StaPtuRteEs FofA 2C00E7) , created the Alternative and Renewable
Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program (ARFVT Program). The statute, subsequently amended by
AB 109 (Núñez) Chapter 313, Statutes of 2008), authorizes the California Energy Commission to
develop and deploy alternative and renewable fuels and advanced transportation technologies to
help attain the state’s climate change policies. The Energy Commission has an annual program
budget of about $100 million and provides financial support for projects that:

Develop and improve alternative and renewable low-carbon fuels.
Enhance alternative and renewable fuels for existing and developing engine technologies.
Produce alternative and renewable low-carbon fuels in California.
Decrease, on a full-fuel-cycle basis, the overall impact and carbon footprint of alternative and
renewable fuels, and increase sustainability.
Expand fuel infrastructure, fueling stations, and equipment.
Improve light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicle technologies.
Retrofit medium- and heavy-duty on-road and nonroad vehicle fleets.
Expand infrastructure connected with existing fleets, public transit, and transportation
corridors.
Establish workforce training programs, conduct public education and promotion, and create
technology centers.

The Energy Commission provided funding opportunities under the ARFVT Program to produce a
comprehensive Alternative Fuel Vehicle Readiness Plan for the tri-county central coast region,
including Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Counties, to support the mass deployment
of Alternative Fuel Vehicles.

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This Alternative Fuel Vehicle Readiness PAlanB fSoTr tRheA CCalTifo rnia Central Coast is intended to guide
the development of AFV readiness policies and infrastructure for the tri-County Central Coast
region, including the counties of Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. The development
and deployment of AFV-ready infrastructure, policies, and incentives on the Central Coast will
encourage local residents and fleet managers to purchase and utilize Alternative Fuel Vehicles
with improved environmental attributes over conventional vehicles. Key benefits of adopting
AFVs include improvement in local air quality, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions that impact
climate change, increased use of local and renewable energy sources, including solar energy and
sustainable biofuels, more efficient use of existing grid energy via off-peak PEV charging and
energy storage, and increased energy security through reduction in the use of petroleum fuels.

Keywords: California Energy Commission, Plug-In Vehicle, AFV Readiness Plan, Central Coast, Ventura
County, Santa Barbara County, San Luis Obispo County, Chargers, Charging Infrastructure

Please use the following citation for this report:
Schorske, Richard, 2016. Alternative Fuel Vehicle Readiness Plan for Ventura, Santa Barbara, and
San Luis Obispo Counties (Central Coast). California Energy Commission, Publication
Number: CEC-XXX-XXXX-XXX.
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INTRODUCTION
The Central Coast Alternative Fuel Vehicles Coordinating Council (“the Council”) was formed
in 2014 and includes representatives from stakeholder organizations in San Luis Obispo, Santa
Barbara, and Ventura Counties. The Council’s mission is to encourage the adoption of
alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) in the Tri-Counties region through a public-private collaborative
network of leaders from counties, cities, public entities, community organizations, private
industry, and utilities. In 2014, members of the Council applied for and received a grant from the
California Energy Commission to oversee an initiative known as the Central Coast Alternative
Fuel Ecosystem Project. The grant was administered by the County of Santa Barbara on behalf of
the Central Coast AFV Steering Committee. The steering committee includes the County of
Santa Barbara (as lead agency), the three Air Pollution Control Districts of Santa Barbara,
Ventura, and San Luis Obispo Counties, the Clean Cities Coalition of the Central Coast (C5), the
Community Environmental Council of Santa Barbara, and Plug-in Central Coast. Key
consultants on the AFV Ecosystem Project included EV Alliance for AFV Readiness Plan
development, Reach Strategies for deployment of EV Ride and Drive activities, and the Center
for Sustainable Energy in collaboration with the Community Environmental Council of Santa
Barbara for delivery of training and education to AFV stakeholders.
The goals of the AFV Ecosystem project have been to accelerate the adoption of AFVs, support
local planning for Alternative Fuel Infrastructure (AFI), and serve as a blueprint for regional
public and private actions to help achieve state emissions reduction and AFV goals.
Measurable objectives of Plan implementation include: increased AFV sales; reductions in
greenhouse gas emissions, criteria pollutant emissions, and petroleum consumption; and
increased jobs and economic activity.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE iv

ABSTRACT v

INTRODUCTION vi

OVERVIEW AND KEY RECOMMENDATIONS 1

CHAPTER 1: State, Regional, and Market Context for Alternative Fuel and Vehicle Planning 9

1.1. California’s State Climate and Clean Transportation Goals and Policy Context 9
1.2. State Alternative Fuels Policies and Incentives 9
1.3. State and Regional Alternative Fuel Vehicle and Infrastructure: 2010 – 2015 (Table 2) 10
1.4. Central Coast Electric Drive Vehicle Deployment by County (Table 3) 11
1.5. California Climate, Clean Air, and Clean Transportation Goals 11
1.6. State of California Greenhouse Gas, Fuel, and Air Quality Goals and Milestones (Table 4) 11
1.7. California Energy Commission Investment in Alternative Fuel Vehicles & Infrastructure 13
1.8. Proposed 2015-16 Alternative & Renewable Fuel Vehicle and Technology Program Investment
Plan (Table 5) 14
1.9. Air Quality Improvement (AQIP) Program 15
1.10. AQIP Funding: 2010-2015 (Table 6) 15
1.11. CEC and CARB Perspectives on AFV Types and Contributions to GHG Reduction and
Vehicle Deployment Goals 15
1.12. Hydrogen Vehicle Outlook 16
1.13. State Expectations for Fuel Cell Vehicle Market Growth by 2050 (Table 7) 17
1.14. FCV vs. PEV Market Penetration 17
1.15. California PEV Sales Projections (Table 8) 18
1.16. EVs, GHG Impact, and the ZEV Mandate 19
1.17. Comparing GHG Emissions Across All Alternative Fuel Types 20
1.18. Full Fuel Cycle Comparison of Alternative Fuels to Standard Gasoline 21
1.19. State Expectations for Growth of the Plug-in Electric Vehicle Market by 2050 vs. Other
Sources of GHG Reduction in On-Road Transportation 22
1.20. CARB 2050 Vision Light-Duty Vehicle Gasoline Reduction (Table 9) 22
1.21. State Perspectives on EV Charging Infrastructure 23
1.22. The Potentially “Game Changing” Expansion of Utility Roles in EV Charging 23
1.23. Smart Charging and Vehicle-Grid Integration 24
1.24. The Role of Clean Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles 25
1.25. Outlook for Biofuels 25
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CHAPTER 2: Electric Vehicles and Infrastructure 27

2.1. Key Market Barriers 27
2.2. Single Family Residential Charger Installation Streamlining Overview 28
2.3. Recommendations for Streamlining Residential EV Charger Installations 29
2.4. Multi-Residential Charger Installation Challenges and Solutions 31
2.5. Recommendations for Multi-Dwelling Residential Charger Installations 32
2.6. Comprehensive Regional Charging Network Development – Challenges and Solutions 38
2.7. Recommendations for Charger Network Development 39
2.8. High-Level Siting Recommendations 41
2.9. Ratio of Charging Stations to PEVs 42
2.10. Promotion of EV-Ready and Energy Efficient Buildings and Parking Lots 43
2.11. EVs and Solar PV Connections 44
2.12. Charger Accessibility and ADA Compliance 45
2.13. EV Related Signage 45
2.14. Checklist of EV Friendly Policies and Practices for Central Coast Jurisdictions 46
2.15. Effective PEV Marketing and Outreach 46
2.16. Recommendations for PEV Fleet Procurement and Management 49
2.17. AFV Fleet Adoption in the Central Coast 55
2.18. Barriers to Adoption and Strategies to Address Barriers 55
2.19. EVs in Rental Fleets 58
2.20. Multi-Unit Development Charging -- Cost Factors and Policy Options 59
2.21. Guidelines for Workplace Charging 65
2.22. Planning and Executing a Workplace Charging Program 67
2.23. EVSE Siting, Installation, Signage, and Utility Notification 76

CHAPTER 3: Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles and Infrastructure 79

3.1. Introduction 79
3.2. Overview of California’s Hydrogen Vehicle and Infrastructure Strategy 79
3.3. The Statewide Hydrogen Station Network 81
3.4. H2 Fueling Station Cost and Regional Site Selection Process 84
3.5. Current Status of Station Siting on the Central Coast/ Santa Barbara 85
3.6. Hydrogen Fueling and Vehicle Deployment in the National Policy Context 86
3.7. The Hydrogen Fueling Experience 87
3.8. Hydrogen Fuel Production Pathways 89
3.9. Hydrogen Production Using Electricity and Natural Gas 90
3.10. Onsite Production of Hydrogen Using Electrolysis 91
3.11. The Potential to Utilize Excess Renewable Energy in Hydrogen Production 92
3.12. Biogas, Biomass, and Coal to Hydrogen Production 94
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3.13. Distributing Hydrogen to Fueling Stations 95
3.14. Future Hydrogen Fuel Costs and Pathways 98
3.15. The Business Case for Developing Hydrogen Fueling Stations 99
3.16. The Hydrogen Driving Experience 103
3.17. Fuel Cell Vehicle Gallery 106
3.18. FCV Performance Relative to Electric Vehicles 106
3.19. Future Fuel Cell Vehicle Product Diversity and Availability 108
3.20. Future Pricing of FCVs vs. EVs and Conventional Vehicles 110
3.21. California Fuel Cell Vehicle Sales Projections 111
3.22. Nationwide Fuel Cell Vehicle Projections 113
3.23. Fuel Cell Buses and Procurement Incentives 115
3.24. Environmental Characteristics of Hydrogen Fuel Supplies in California 115
3.25. Assessing the Environmental Attributes of Hydrogen Fuels on a Life Cycle Basis 117
3.26. The Transition to Green Hydrogen 119
3.27. Best Practices in Local Readiness for Hydrogen Fueling Station Development 120
3.28. Hydrogen Station Construction and Zoning 123
3.29. Hydrogen Station Permitting and Signage 125
3.30. Hydrogen Safety and Training for First Responders 132
3.31. Recommended Regional and Local Actions to Support Hydrogen Vehicle Readiness 133
3.32. Information Resources on Hydrogen Fueling Stations, Funding, and Local Readiness 139
3.33. Glossary of Frequently Used Hydrogen Related Terms 142

CHAPTER 4: Biofuel Vehicles and Infrastructure 143

4.1. Biofuel Types and Definitions
4.2. The Importance of Biofuels in Decarbonizing Transportation and Achieving GHG Goals 143
4.3. Federal Biofuels Policy Regarding First Generation and Advanced Biofuels 144
4.4. National Renewable Fuel Volumes and Renewable Fuel Standards (2014) 144
4.5. California Biofuels Policy and Investments - Production and Use Goals 145
4.6. California Blending Requirements 147
4.7. E85 Fuels and Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV) Characteristics and Deployment 147
4.8. Flex Fuel Vehicles vs. Regular Gasoline Vehicles 148
4.9. Projections for Increased Ethanol Use and E85 Fueling Station Deployment 149
4.10. Flex Fuel Vehicle Sales Projections 150
4.11. National E85 Fuel Consumption Projections 152
4.12. The Federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and Ethanol Consumption Growth 152
4.13. Potential to Expand E85 and Biofuel Production in California 153
4.14. Ethanol Production and Use in California 153
4.15. California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) and the Shift to Lower Carbon Ethanol 153

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