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Draft Calaveras County electric vehicle charging plan outlines phased fleet rollout, $3.4 million cost estimate
Summary
Consultants presented a draft electric vehicle charging infrastructure plan Feb. 5 that prioritizes county fleet charging sites, recommends a phased installation and estimates roughly $3.4 million in capital and operating costs over the implementation period.
Consultants from DKS Associates presented the draft Calaveras County Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Implementation Plan to the Calaveras Council of Governments on Feb. 5, outlining a three-phase approach for electrifying local government fleets and installing charging infrastructure.
Mike Houston of DKS Associates said the plan was developed for Calaveras County and the City of Angels Camp, focusing on fleet charging and site prioritization. The consultants identified government center lots, the sheriff’s office, Colombo, and the Human Resources building as the county’s top-priority sites. For Angels Camp, the top priority is the City Hall/Police Department site, with the Napa building and Utica Park also identified for chargers.
DKS estimated the total capital and operating cost over the implementation period at about $3,400,000 spread across three phases over roughly 15 years. The plan recommends a mix of Level 2 chargers (overnight charging) and DC fast chargers (30-minute charges) and proposes a roughly 2.6 Level 2 chargers per EV average for county sites and a lower ratio for Angels Camp. The consultants emphasized that the largest near-term regulatory driver is the California Air Resources Board’s Advanced Clean Fleet (ACF) regulation, which affects medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and includes milestone and model-year compliance pathways. DKS said approximately 20% of Calaveras County’s fleet is medium/heavy duty and thus directly affected; the majority of vehicles are light duty and can be electrified sooner.
On funding, DKS identified federal and state grant sources and incentives, noted a Federal Highway Administration-provided map of public chargers, and flagged PG&E incentives that can help cover electrical upgrades to the meter. Staff said the county and city have applied for federal grants for Utica charging facilities; those applications are currently paused.
Board members raised several operational and policy concerns: how to serve take-home vehicles for police and other staff, charging in remote/mountain communities such as Arnold where vehicles expend more energy climbing, resiliency during planned power shutoffs (PSPS) and wildfires, and the practicality and costs of providing week-long backup power. DKS acknowledged those concerns and said the plan’s appendices provide guidance on resiliency options and funding opportunities; consultants recommended shared regional charging hubs where agencies can pool resources and noted programs and incentives that may offset electrical upgrade costs.
The plan is informational; no action was taken. Consultants and staff will incorporate comments and return a final draft at a later meeting.
