Politics & Government
Supervisors Approve Fast-Track Permitting for E-Vehicle Charging Stations
"This will, in turn, help improve the county's and state's ability to reach clean energy goals while maintaining safety standards."
Riverside County supervisors this week unanimously approved an ordinance that will provide expedited permitting for residents and businesses seeking to install electric vehicle charging stations in unincorporated communities.
The ordinance will require the county Department of Building & Safety to have provisions in place that cut the time traditionally expended getting a project reviewed.
In documents posted to the Board of Supervisors' policy agenda, Transportation & Land Management Agency staff wrote that the objective is "to promote and encourage the use of electric vehicle charging stations and to limit obstacles to their use."
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"This will, in turn, help improve the county's and state's ability to reach clean energy goals while maintaining safety standards," according to the TLMA statement.
In approving the measure, the board complied with a state mandate resulting from Assembly Bill 1236, signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown last September. Under AB 1236, local jurisdictions were required to establish guidelines, by Sept. 30 of this year, that facilitate construction of e-vehicle charging stations.
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The bill, authored by Assemblyman David Chiu, D-San Francisco, makes it permissible for applicants to submit plans for plug-in charging stations online. According to the legislation, permit applications are only to be weighed against "health and safety" concerns, and if any should arise, officials in the city or county where the station is sought are to consider alternatives that would mitigate the problem.
Chiu complained that the "patchwork" of regulations in various jurisdictions necessitated a simplified, streamlined process originating from the Legislature. California has more EVs on the road than any state in the nation, the lawmaker said.
According to county officials, fulfilling the new state mandate will cost about $27,000 in the current fiscal year and could result in escalating expenses in the coming years, depending on application volume. AB 1236 does not call for the state to kick in funds to offset localities' expenses.
– By City News Service / Image via Shutterstock.
