Sonora, CA – In tandem with California’s aggressive energy-saving goals, a Mother Lode transportation agency and neighboring partners have crafted a plan for zero-emission vehicle charging stations.
The Tuolumne County Transportation Council (TCTC) recently announced the completion of a document entitled “The Central Sierra Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Readiness Plan.” It identifies key site locations needed across a four-county area for electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
California energy officials working towards getting 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025 need regional readiness plans to enable transitions to electric vehicles. To that end, TCTC applied for and received a $200,000 ZEV Plan Grant from the California Energy Commission. In order to better compete for it, it formed an inter-regional partnership with Alpine, Amador, and Calaveras’s regional transportation planning agencies (RTPAs).
Local transportation officials tout the partnership effort as one that will help reduce the barriers to electric vehicle ownership throughout the Central Sierra region.
Key historic communities in Tuolumne County are listed among the regional plan as areas requiring electric vehicle charging infrastructure to help promote tourism and economic growth.
Officials note that another key aspect of implementing the ZEV Plan includes encouraging the business community to invest in electric vehicle infrastructure throughout the region, adding that TCTC will be seeking more funding to cover purchases of electric vehicles and vehicle-charging infrastructure for local agency fleets.
To read more about the plan, click here.