Work Truck Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

California Approves $738M for Electrification Projects

The California Public Utilities Commission approved $738 million for the state’s three largest utilities to support electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

May 31, 2018
California Approves $738M for Electrification Projects

 

Photo via Pixabay

2 min to read


The California Public Utilities Commission has approved $738 million in transportation electrification projects for the state’s three largest utilities —Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric, and Southern California Edison. The approved projects aim to help speed the transition to electrified transportation for consumers and fleets.

These projects include:

Ad Loading...
  • San Diego Gas & Electric’s (SDG&E) Residential Charging Program ($137 million): SDG&E will provide rebates to residential customers to install up to 60,000 Level 2 charging stations at home.

  • SDG&E’s Residential Grid Integrated Rate (no incremental costs): SDG&E will offer customers participating in the Residential Charging Program the option to enroll in an EV-only rate that varies hourly based on day-ahead forecasts of grid conditions.

  • Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) Direct Current Fast Charging Make-Ready Program ($22 million): PG&E will install the make-ready infrastructure at approximately 52 sites that will support approximately 234 fast charging stations.

  • PG&E’s FleetReady Program ($236 million): PG&E will install the make-ready infrastructure at a minimum of 700 sites to support the electrification of at least 6,500 medium- or heavy-duty vehicles.

  • Southern California Edison’s (SCE) Medium- and Heavy-Duty Infrastructure Program ($343 million): SCE will install the make-ready infrastructure at a minimum of 870 sites to support the electrification of at least 8,490 medium- or heavy-duty vehicles.

  • SCE’s Commercial Electric Vehicle Rate Design (no incremental costs): SCE will establish three new time-of-use rates for commercial customers with electric vehicles.

The projects are expected to be implemented over approximately five years.

“The only way to get to a largely carbon-free California is by substantially electrifying the state’s vast transportation system,” said Commissioner Carla J. Peterman, who is assigned to the transportation electrification proceeding. “The decision made today aims to balance costs with benefits for all ratepayers, considers impacts on competition, and directs significant portions of the utility programs to disadvantaged communities often hit hardest by traffic and air pollution. If we’re successful with this and other electrification efforts already underway, much of the nation will likely follow California’s lead, and together we will make a difference in the fight against climate change.”

In 2016, the CPUC directed the investor-owned utilities to submit applications proposing projects aimed at accelerating transportation electrification across all sectors, from light-duty passenger cars to medium- and heavy-duty fleet, transit, and freight vehicles. PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E proposed the large-scale programs approved today, initially requesting approximately $1 billion to implement. Today’s decision modifies some aspects of each approved program, including the budgets. The decision was based on a robust public process that included 11 days of Evidentiary Hearings and four Commissioner-led community workshops throughout the state.


Related: Calif. Utilities Approve $41M for EV Pilots

More Utility Fleet

Promotional graphic for a Work Truck “Trucks, Tips & Tours” video featuring a utility bucket truck, an industry representative, and EUFMC branding, with text reading “Powering Communities” and “What Is EUFMC?” plus a Truck Chat watch prompt.
Utility Fleetby Wayne ParhamJune 16, 2026

Inside the Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference

What is EUFMC? For more than seven decades, the Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference has served as a hub for collaboration, education, and innovation within the utility fleet industry. In this video, Work Truck talks to EUFMC President Greg Loew to learn more.

Read More →
Promotional graphic for a Work Truck “Trucks, Tips & Tours” video featuring utility vehicles at EUFMC, including a tracked utility machine, bucket truck, crane-equipped truck, and service vehicles, with “Truck Chat” branding and a watch-now button.
Utility Fleetby Wayne ParhamJune 9, 2026

Inside the EUFMC Equipment Expo & Drive-Through

Follow Work Truck as we check out the trucks and other vehicles that were showcased at the Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia. Whether looking for something on tires or treads, it was there for fleet managers to see.

Read More →
White Kiley utility truck equipped with a Terex aerial lift parked outside an industrial building. The truck features patriotic red, white, and blue graphics, including an American flag design and “250” anniversary emblems on the body and boom.
Utility FleetJune 2, 2026

Terex Utilities & Kiley Unveil Custom America 250 Bucket Trucks at EUFMC 2026

Terex Utilities showcased a patriotic spirit in its booth this week during the Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia, by debuting two custom-wrapped bucket trucks celebrating America’s upcoming 250th anniversary.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Image promoting the Anterix Active Ecosystem with 900 MHz connectivity for utility work in remote areas. The image features power transmission lines at sunset alongside a rugged Panasonic Toughbook laptop displaying a Windows interface.
Utility FleetMay 19, 2026

Panasonic Connect & Anterix Strengthen Connectivity Options for Utilities and Field Workers

The Panasonic Connect Toughbook 56 is the first Toughbook to earn the AnterixActive badge, which means it can connect to and operate on Anterix’s 900 MHz network even in the most remote locations.

Read More →
Cover of a whitepaper titled “The Hidden Costs of Departmentally Assigned Vehicles on Your Fleet” featuring a black fleet vehicle driving on a road at sunset. Subheadline reads: “Discover how your fleet can reduce costs and minimize risk by implementing vehicle sharing.” The document focuses on fleet optimization, vehicle sharing, cost reduction, utilization tracking, and risk management for fleet operations.
SponsoredMay 13, 2026

Why Fleet Managers Are Replacing Departmental Vehicles with Shared Motor Pools

Departmentally assigned vehicles often create hidden costs through underutilization, poor visibility, and increased administrative burden. This white paper explores how shared motor pool strategies help fleets reduce costs, improve accountability, and optimize vehicle utilization.

Read More →
Large orange handheld searchlight and an area light on a tripod against a blue background and a Streamlight logo.
Utility FleetApril 24, 2026

Streamlight Launches Portable Scene Light III & LiteBox 1Million

Streamlight has launched its Portable Scene Light III (PSL III), which delivers up to 10,000 lumens, and the LiteBox 1Million, a long-range search light that delivers one million candela.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Photo of a utility worker in bucket truck working on powerlines against a blue sky and inset logo for EUFMC.
Utility Fleetby News/Media ReleaseApril 14, 2026

EUFMC 2026 Matches Fleet Registration Record

EUFMC 2026 registration has surpassed last year’s fleet registration record, and the event will deliver a variety of topics during its educational program, Driving Safety, Sustainability & Technical Expertise.

Read More →
Man talking with hands outstretched in front of a room that is tinted blue, headline What to Expect from Palfinger in 2026, and logos for Work Truck and Truck Chat.
Utility Fleetby Wayne ParhamApril 1, 2026

What to Expect from PALFINGER in 2026

Work Truck visited with Ismael Daneluz, vice president of sales and service for PALFINGER North America, to discuss where the company is headed in 2026. In this video, he discusses new products and a strategic growth outlook.

Read More →
SponsoredMarch 9, 2026

Boosting Last-Mile Fleet Uptime, Safety, and Value with AI Vehicle Inspections

AI-powered inspections are transforming last-mile fleets by replacing manual checks with highly accurate automated scans that detect defects in seconds. By giving fleet operations visibility into the daily condition of their vehicles, you can identify trends over the vehicle’s lifecycle that enable improved procurement decisions, route management, driver training and accountability.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Rubber mat on a construction site with a small tractor driving onto it.
Utility FleetMarch 4, 2026

DICA Launches Complete Engineered Ground Protection Line

DICA’s new Ranger HD, Defender MD, and Titan mat systems deliver scalable, high-performance ground protection solutions. All are being exhibited this week at CONEXPO 2026.

Read More →