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GoBiz previews draft ZEV equity action plan to committee, highlights community engagement themes
Summary
The governor’s office of business and economic development briefed the committee on a draft Zero‑Emission Vehicle Equity Action Plan (SB 1251). Staff said the plan will focus on access, affordability, infrastructure, workforce and outreach and will post a public draft in Q2 2026 after additional agency and community feedback.
Representatives from the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GoBiz) presented an early draft of the California Zero‑Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Equity Action Plan at the March 4 Interagency Equity Advisory Committee meeting.
Nydia Ursig (ZEV equity advocate) and Bella Hopkins (ZEV equity analyst) said the plan responds to SB 1251 and is intended to center frontline communities throughout the ZEV transition. GoBiz described outreach in 2025 that engaged more than 155 organizations through regional workshops, focus groups and interviews, and summarized key themes: access and affordability, infrastructure (including chargers for renters), workforce development, and outreach and education.
Presenters described near‑term and longer‑term strategy categories and gave examples — for instance, partnering with community‑based organizations and landlords to expand affordable light‑duty charging for underserved renters and aligning workforce training with local labor partners. They said the final draft is expected in the second quarter of 2026 and that public comment and agency coordination will follow.
Committee members requested more engagement with labor unions on workforce strategies, additional outreach in the Inland Empire and San Joaquin Valley, attention to charging‑station safety and renter access, and anti‑displacement protections when siting infrastructure. GoBiz staff said those topics would be folded into the draft and recommended follow‑up with the committee’s subcommittee for detailed review.
The committee voted to refer the ZEV equity action-plan item to a subcommittee in April for deeper engagement before a full‑committee update.
