126 Corridor EV Chargers Incentive Program

 

 

Holly Galbreath, Air Quality Specialist II (805) 303-3666
Danny McQuillan, Air Quality Engineer (805) 303-3678
 

The district is awarding $1.5 million in grants for the installation and operation of electric vehicle chargers along the Highway 126 corridor. This program is designed to improve air quality in Fillmore, Santa Paula and Piru and support the transition to EVs by providing much-needed chargers along the heavily trafficked route.

 

Eligible Applicants:

  • Public organizations located in Ventura County including government entities, school districts and colleges
  • Private businesses and organizations

 

Eligible Expenditures:

  • Charging equipment
  • Building and installation costs
  • Expansion of infrastructure or enhancement to improve efficiency or safety
  • Three years of electricity costs
  • Design, engineering and consultant costs
  • Fees
  • Three years of operational costs, not including regular maintenance
  • Software and three years of associated support costs
  • Electric station card readers
  • Specialized tools necessary for operation

 

Grant Limits:

  • Public entities and projects providing public access — 100% of costs
  • Private projects — 85% of costs

 

Requirements:

  • Accessible to the public or employees at cost for at least the term of the grant, which can range from three to eight years
  • Level 2 or higher chargers
  • Submission of annual reports detailing usage and any downtime for the term of the grant

 

Priority Factors:

  • Existing grid power
  • Public accessibility
  • Locations in or adjacent to Fillmore, Piru and Santa Paula
  • Requests for less than maximum grant amounts
  • Longer grant terms

 

Process:

  • Complete the application.
  • Submit application, price quotes and additional required documents to Holly Galbreath at holly@vcapcd.org or Ventura County Air Pollution Control District, 4567 Telephone Road Second Floor, Ventura, CA 93003.
  • District staff will inspect the project to verify it is operational.
  • The district will issue payment to the applicant.

 

Complete Guidelines

 

Background:

On-road vehicles are a major source of Ventura County air pollution, especially near major roadways. The harmful pollutants they emit include nitrogen oxides, which reacts with sunlight to form ozone, and fine particulate matter. The county exceeds state and federal standards for ozone, or smog.

An average of up to 106,000 passenger cars and 67,000 heavy-duty trucks traveled along Highway 126 daily in 2022, according to Caltrans. This impacts the residents of Fillmore, Piru and Santa Paula, areas designated as low-income and disproportionately affected by air pollutants by the California Climate Investments program.

In 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order calling for all new passenger cars, trucks and SUVs sold in California to be zero-emission models by 2035 and the same for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and equipment by 2045.

Funding Source:

The district is funding this program with a portion of the $6-per-vehicle registration fee surcharges it receives from the Department of Motor Vehicles. Since 1991, the district has used this money for cost-effective projects that reduce vehicle emissions.