As a result of RCRC and its local government partners’ efforts to oppose Assembly Bill 2168, authored by Assembly Member Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento), this bill will not move forward at this time. AB 2168 provides a deemed approved permitting scheme for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, regardless if a municipality had a streamlined process in place pursuant to current law.
More specifically, AB 2168 would require 1) applications to install EV charging stations to be deemed complete within five business days by a building official in local jurisdictions, and 2) such applications to be deemed approved within 15 business days after the application was submitted if the respective building official has not issued a permit and if the building official has not made findings that the proposed installation could have adverse impacts on public health and safety. RCRC’s coalition letter can be viewed here.
AB 2168 was expected to be heard by the Assembly Local Government Committee this week; however, the author declined to take reasonable committee amendments that would have, among other things, provided a recognition and exclusion of municipalities compliant with the streamlining methods implemented by Assembly Bill 1236 (Chiu; 2015).
At the March 11, 2020 RCRC Board of Directors Meeting, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) ZEV Unit gave a presentation on the state’s EV charging compliance per AB 1236; see memo here. AB 1236 mandated all municipalities to streamline electric vehicle charging station permits in order to expedite the availability of EV charging stations. Rural jurisdictions with a population less than 200,000 received a delay in implementation but were ultimately required to comply by September 30, 2017.
Since AB 1236 went into effect, few counties have taken formal action to adopt a model ordinance for a streamlined EV charging permitting process. While many local jurisdictions are meeting the spirit of the law and continue to grant EV charging permits to homeowners and for larger commercial stations, the majority of local governments are not meeting the letter of the law. RCRC encourages member counties to adopt AB 1236-compliant EV charging measures. GO-Biz continues to offer assistance to local government agencies and businesses alike on ZEV readiness and AB 1236 compliance, including best practices and streamlining templates (see here).
For more information utilize the GO-Biz contact form here or reach the ZEV unit at zev@gobiz.ca.gov.