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Board authorizes PowerFlex standard and procurement process for district EV chargers
Summary
Trustees approved two resolutions to standardize EV charging software and to authorize procurement under Public Contract Code 20118.2, citing operational reliability across nearly 100 chargers and 77 electric buses; trustees asked staff to account for connector standards and market changes.
District facilities staff asked the board on Aug. 27 to approve two resolutions to standardize EV-charger software and to authorize procurement under Public Contract Code 20118.2. The presentation said PowerFlex was recommended as the district standard for charger software and hardware compatibility.
Facilities staff told the board the district operates nearly 100 EV chargers and 77 electric buses; staff said PowerFlex would be applied to roughly 84 chargers and that 64 existing EV box chargers need replacement or are no longer supported. "PowerFlex was identified as the ideal solution," the facilities presenter said, listing reliability, consistency and reduced vendor-management burden as key benefits.
Trustees asked whether the district was picking the right connector standard for the long term; one trustee warned that North American Connector System (NACS) is now widely adopted and urged the district to avoid locking in a connector that could become obsolete. NV consultant Megan Daw said the market is evolving rapidly and recommended keeping procurement specifications flexible while preserving interoperability.
After questions and discussion, the board approved both resolutions by voice vote. The action authorizes staff to proceed with procurement steps under the cited public contract code and to standardize software/hardware selection subject to bid and technical specifications.
Next steps: staff will finalize procurement specifications and consider connector compatibility and future-proofing in the request for proposals and contract documents.
