Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environment Climate topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County outlines climate action work: EV fleet expansion, chargers and employee training
Summary
Board heard an interdepartmental Climate Action Task Force report describing steps toward an all-electric county fleet, EV charging installations, an employee-focused EV transition toolkit and broader climate-adaptation programs.
Contra Costa County officials presented an interdepartmental Climate Action Task Force briefing on May 20 that outlined ongoing work to electrify the county fleet, expand EV charging infrastructure at county facilities, and train employees to safely operate and maintain new electric vehicles.
The nut graf: County energy and sustainability staff told the Board of Supervisors about progress on charging stations, the acquisition of dozens of electric vehicles and plans for an EV transition toolkit aimed at fleet liaisons and technicians. Officials said the work is part of the county’s broader Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.
Jody London, the county sustainability coordinator, and Bridal Havener (county energy manager) led the presentation. Public Works Director Warren Lai joined staff for recognition of recent achievements. A video excerpt played for the board included a statement from Public Works about the county’s fleet: “For the county, we service about 1,600 pieces of equipment. And out of that 1,600 pieces of equipment, about 1,300 vehicles that drive on the road every day in and around Contra Costa County. We're mandated by CARB, and they mandate starting this year that 50% or more of our vehicles are purchased that are electrical,” the video said.
Bridal Havener said that in the past three years the county has supported acquisition of more than 50 electric vehicles and installed more than 120 EV chargers at 11 county facilities; additional vehicles and chargers are under construction. She described a forthcoming online “EV transition toolkit” to give employees operational guidance, training materials and answers to common questions.
Officials said the county is prioritizing chargers where fleet vehicles are parked overnight to reduce charging costs and demand charges; they acknowledged that installation pace is constrained mainly by the county’s capital projects capacity rather than by supply-chain problems.
The broader Climate Action and Adaptation Plan update covered community-facing programs (BayREN residential energy-efficiency partnerships and a Spanish-language induction-cooktop outreach video) and employee engagement through volunteer “G3 champions” who meet regularly and help spread energy-management practices across departments.
The board voted to accept the climate task force report, 5-0. Supervisors praised staff for accreditation and for on-the-ground work, and asked staff to continue coordinating with regional partners including the Contra Costa Transportation Authority and MCE (the community choice aggregator).
Ending: County staff will continue charger installations and to roll out the EV toolkit and will return with updates. Supervisors asked that the board be informed on charging capacity, staffing for capital projects and any external funding opportunities.
