Committee advances bill requiring electrification plans for larger jurisdictions; opponents cite unfunded mandate

AB 39, presented in the Senate Committee on Local Government, would require jurisdictions with populations of 75,000 or more to create and adopt local plans to meet electrification goals for transportation and buildings. Supporters said the bill is intended to clear local barriers, prioritize investments in disadvantaged communities, and accelerate the deployment of electric vehicle chargers and building electrification.

"We will need roughly 1,000,000 vehicle chargers to support the 8,000,000 passenger electric vehicles projected on the road by 2030," Brandon Wong of CalSTART told the committee, arguing that local planning is essential to meeting state targets for chargers and to improving public health in pollution-burdened communities.

Madison Vanderklei of the Building Decarbonization Coalition said AB 39 would help jurisdictions identify local barriers to electrification and ensure investments prioritize renters, low-income households and disadvantaged communities.

A senator on the dais raised concerns about workload and an unfunded mandate, noting the bill does not provide dedicated funds to help smaller cities implement plans. "Does this bill come with any funding?" the senator asked; the author acknowledged it did not and said technical assistance and state resources could be explored if the bill moves forward.

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