WALNUT CREEK, CA — Walnut Creek could spend an additional $5.6 million to $6.7 million over 14 years to transition its city fleet to electric vehicles as officials pursue plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
City leaders signaled support for investing further in electric vehicles and charging infrastructure as part of a draft Electric Vehicle Strategic Plan. The plan builds on Walnut Creek's 2023 Sustainability Action Plan, which calls for reaching net-zero emissions by 2045.
"It's a great future to look forward to, when we can implement this," Councilmember Craig DeVinney said during a City Council meeting last week, the Bay Area News Group reported.
Transportation generates about 60 percent of Walnut Creek's community-wide greenhouse gas emissions, largely because the suburban city's design requires people to drive to reach their destinations, city staff said according to the report.
The Electric Vehicle Strategic Plan examined Walnut Creek's vehicle fleet to determine when the city could replace its vehicles with electric alternatives.
Of 175 vehicles assessed, 66 will have to transition to electric options in coming years under California's Advanced Clean Fleets policy. The California Air Resources Board oversees the policy, which requires local and state agencies to transition to electric or hybrid vehicles, the Bay Area News Group reported.
Walnut Creek currently operates 12 fully electric vehicles, three plug-in hybrids, and 25 non-plug-in hybrids.
The city's fleet replacement policy recommends assessing non-public safety vehicles after 10 to 12 years of use or after they reach 100,000 miles. Under that policy, every fleet vehicle would require replacement at least once during the next 11 years, with most becoming eligible during the next five years.
City staff estimated that choosing electric vehicles instead of internal combustion engine vehicles would add $5.6 million to $6.7 million in costs over 14 years.
Staff said continuing to buy gas vehicles is not feasible because of the state's Advanced Clean Fleets policy.
The estimates also include upgrades to city charging infrastructure, according to the report.
PG&E's EV Fleet Electrification Program is helping plan two additional fast chargers at the Heather Farm Corp Yard at an estimated cost of $500,100. The project remains in the design phase, the Bay Area News Group reported.
The city expects to need another roughly $1.3 million for upgrades at the Lawrence Way Corp Yard, where most of the fleet would charge. Plans call for 14 new chargers there, including two fast chargers, according to reports.
Councilmembers also supported making public EV charging more consistent as a way to encourage residents to switch to electric vehicles.
Walnut Creek launched its public charging program in 2017 and now provides 40 charging ports across four garages and two surface parking lots. Staff estimated that 150 to 200 publicly accessible chargers operate in or near the city.
Councilmembers said charging drivers for the service would not pose a major deterrent. They also agreed the city could improve the program by seeking to recover about 90 percent of its costs through fees and finding a vendor to operate it, according to Bay Area News Group.
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