HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-06-13 Climate Action and Sustainability Committee Agenda PacketCLIMATE ACTION AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE
Regular Meeting
Friday, June 13, 2025
Community Meeting Room & Hybrid
1:30 PM
Councilmember Burt will be participating remotely from:
Bay Area Metro Center, 1 floor, Claremont Conference Room
375 Beale Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
Climate Action and Sustainability Committee meetings will be held as “hybrid” meetings with the
option to attend by teleconference/video conference or in person. Information on how the
public may observe and participate in the meeting is located at the end of the agenda. The
meeting will be broadcast live on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/cityofpaloalto.
VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION CLICK HERE TO JOIN (https://cityofpaloalto.zoom.us/j/85380918387 )
Meeting ID: 853 8091 8387 Phone: 1(669)900-6833
PUBLIC COMMENTS
General Public Comment for items not on the agenda will be accepted in person for up to three
minutes or an amount of time determind by the Chair. General public comment will be heard
for 30 minutes. Additional public comments, if any, will be heard at the end of the agenda.
Public comments for agendized items will be accepted both in person and via Zoom for up to
three minutes or an amount of time determined by the Chair. Requests to speak will be taken
until 5 minutes after the staff’s presentation or as determind by the Chair. Written public
comments can be submitted in advance to city.council@PaloAlto.gov and will be provided to
the Council and available for inspection on the City’s website. Please clearly indicate which
agenda item you are referencing in your subject line.
PowerPoints, videos, or other media to be presented during public comment are accepted only
by email to city.clerk@PaloAlto.gov at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. Once received, the
Clerk will have them shared at public comment for the specified item. To uphold strong
cybersecurity management practices, USB’s or other physical electronic storage devices are not
accepted.
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create a facility, fire, or safety hazard; and (3) persons with such items remain seated when
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of other attendees, or otherwise disturb the business of the meeting.
st
1 June 13, 2025
Materials submitted after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection
at www.paloalto.gov/agendas.
CALL TO ORDER
PUBLIC COMMENT
Members of the public may speak in-person ONLY to any item NOT on the agenda. 1-3 minutes depending on number of
speakers. Public Comment is limited to 30 minutes. Additional public comments, if any, will be heard at the end of the agenda.
STANDING VERBAL REPORTS
A.Staff Comments
B.Committee Member Comments and Announcements
ACTION ITEMS
1. Approval of Schedule for 2025 Climate Action and Sustainability Committee Meetings
2. Discussion of Gas Utility Transition Study Scoping; CEQA Status - Not a Project
3. Recommendation to City Council to Accept the E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap; CEQA
Status - Under CEQA Guidelines Section 15183, Projects Consistent with an Existing General
or Comprehensive Plan do not Require Additional CEQA Review
FUTURE MEETINGS AND AGENDAS
Members of the public may not speak to the item(s)
ADJOURNMENT
2 June 13, 2025
Materials submitted after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection
at www.paloalto.gov/agendas.
PUBLIC COMMENT INSTRUCTIONS
Members of the Public may provide public comments to teleconference meetings via email,
teleconference, or by phone.
1.Written public comments may be submitted by email to city.council@PaloAlto.gov.
2.For in person public comments please complete a speaker request card located on the
table at the entrance to the Council Chambers and deliver it to the Clerk prior to
discussion of the item.
3.Spoken public comments for agendized items using a computer or smart phone will be
accepted through the teleconference meeting. To address the Council, click on the link
below to access a Zoom-based meeting. Please read the following instructions carefully.
◦You may download the Zoom client or connect to the meeting in- browser. If using
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Firefox 27 , Microsoft Edge 12 , Safari 7 . Certain functionality may be disabled in
older browsers including Internet Explorer. Or download the Zoom application onto
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Meeting ID below.
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◦When you wish to speak on an Agenda Item, click on “raise hand.” The Clerk will
activate and unmute speakers in turn. Speakers will be notified shortly before they
are called to speak.
◦When called, please limit your remarks to the time limit allotted. A timer will be
shown on the computer to help keep track of your comments.
4.Spoken public comments for agendized items using a phone use the telephone number
listed below. When you wish to speak on an agenda item hit *9 on your phone so we
know that you wish to speak. You will be asked to provide your first and last name before
addressing the Council. You will be advised how long you have to speak. When called
please limit your remarks to the agenda item and time limit allotted.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN Meeting ID: 853 8091 8387 Phone: 1(669)900-6833
Americans with Disability Act (ADA) It is the policy of the City of Palo Alto to offer its public
programs, services and meetings in a manner that is readily accessible to all. Persons with
disabilities who require materials in an appropriate alternative format or who require auxiliary
aids to access City meetings, programs, or services may contact the City’s ADA Coordinator at
(650) 329-2550 (voice) or by emailing ada@PaloAlto.gov. Requests for assistance or
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service.
3 June 13, 2025
Materials submitted after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection
at www.paloalto.gov/agendas.
California Government Code §84308, commonly referred to as the "Levine Act," prohibits an
elected official of a local government agency from participating in a proceeding involving a
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decision. The Levine Act incorporates the definition of “financial interest” in the Political Reform
Act, which encompasses interests in business entities, real property, sources of income, sources
of gifts, and personal finances that may be affected by the Council’s actions. If you qualify as a
“party” or “participant” to a proceeding, and you have made a campaign contribution to a
Council Member exceeding $500 made within the last 12 months, you must disclose the
campaign contribution before making your comments.
4 June 13, 2025
Materials submitted after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection
at www.paloalto.gov/agendas.
Climate Action and Sustainability Committee
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: ACTION ITEMS
Lead Department: Public Works
Meeting Date: June 13, 2025
Report #:2506-4774
TITLE
Approval of Schedule for 2025 Climate Action and Sustainability Committee Meetings
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Climate Action and Sustainability Committee approve the following
schedule for its regular meetings through calendar year 2025:
•August 22, 2025, 1:30pm
•September 5, 2025, 1:30pm
•September 19, 1:30pm
•October 3, 2025, 1:30pm
•November 14, 2025, 1:30pm
•December 12, 2025, 1:30pm
This item is being agendized to enable the Climate Action and Sustainability Committee to
establish its regular meeting schedule through the end of calendar year 2025.
APPROVED BY:
Brad Eggleston, Director Public Works/City Engineer
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Climate Action and Sustainability Committee
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: ACTION ITEMS
Lead Department: Utilities
Meeting Date: June 13, 2025
Report #:2505-4658
TITLE
Discussion of Gas Utility Transition Study Scoping; CEQA Status - Not a Project
RECOMMENDATION
This is a discussion item and no action is requested by the Climate Action and Sustainability
Committee (CASC) at this time. Staff is seeking CASC feedback on the scope for a study of the
financial and operational impacts of electrification on the gas utility.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Achieving the community’s greenhouse gas emissions reductions goals requires deep
reductions in building emissions. Regardless of how quickly the community reaches these goals,
impacts on the gas utility’s financial structure and physical operations are expected. Staff is
beginning a study of those impacts and is seeking feedback on its approach.
The study will simulate different patterns of electrification throughout Palo Alto, identify
opportunities for gas main and service abandonment and operational efficiencies, and estimate
abandonment costs, changes in operational costs, and customer class cost allocations. It will
prioritize gas system safety and identify parts of the gas system that may need to be retained
for operational reasons even after substantial parts of the system have electrified.
BACKGROUND
Gas utilities throughout California are planning for the possible impacts of widespread building
electrification. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has a gas transition proceeding
for the investor-owned utilities (IOUs), but many of the issues they face differ from Palo Alto.
IOUs have a different capital structure, service territories with different characteristics, and
different system designs. City staff follows this proceeding to learn potential lessons and
participated in an early workshop that led to the proceeding, but analysis specific to Palo Alto is
also needed.
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The Utilities Advisory Commission (UAC) received preliminary staff analyses of the cost of
abandonment, staffing impacts, and rate impacts on November 4, 20201 and January 2021,2 but
a more rigorous study is needed. Abandonment costs are likely significantly higher than the
prior studies showed, and those studies also did not sufficiently account for the physical system
constraints or the difference in rate impacts by customer classes.
ANALYSIS
The objective of the Gas Transition Study is to assess the potential financial and physical
impacts of large-scale building electrification on the gas system and identify strategies to
manage those impacts. The study will be conducted primarily in-house, with consultants
assisting in physical gas system modeling and rate modeling.
Staff will simulate four electrification scenarios for single-family, multi-family, and non-
residential sectors, targeting 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80% reductions in gas sales (see
Attachment A for full scenario definition). Gas usage will be modeled down to the meter level.
For each scenario, staff will estimate the number of gas main segments that could be retired
and the resulting abandonment costs and changes in operational costs. Staff will then estimate
rate impacts by customer class.
Safety will remain the top priority throughout the hypothetical transition, and the study will
analyze resulting cost impacts. Due to the complexity of electrification for some commercial
customers (e.g. restaurants), and for larger industrial and medical users, a core network of gas
lines is projected to be preserved to serve these users. The analysis will assume that retiring
entire blocks of gas mains is more cost-effective than retiring individual services.
Abandoning gas infrastructure at the block level is more efficient than retiring individual
services, primarily because it reduces the number of excavation events. Block-level
abandonment involves digging into the street to cut and cap the main at each end of a block
and removing all associated meters in one operation. This contrasts with the more labor-
intensive process of retiring services one at a time, which also requires much more digging in
the street to abandon each customer service lateral. The study will look at the cost of both
block-level and service-level abandonment as strategies and estimate the total associated costs.
1 Staff Report ID#11639, November 4, 2020, Discussion of Electrification Cost and Staffing Impacts on the City of Pa
lo Alto's Electric and Gas Distribution Systems, http://cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=7
8897
2 Staff Report ID#11751, January 6, 2021, Discussion of Projected Electrification Impacts on Gas Utility System
Average Rates, https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/agendas-minutes-reports/agendas-
minutes/utilities-advisory-commission/archived-agenda-and-minutes/agendas-and-minutes-2021/01-06-2021-
special/01-06-21-uac-item-1.pdf
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Operational costs that may vary during the transition will also be evaluated, such as customer
service, leak monitoring and repair, meter reading, and overhead allocations. Many of these
functions are shared across utilities, and their costs are allocated based on factors such as the
number of meters served or total revenues. As gas sales decline and parts of the system are
retired, both actual workload and allocation factors will shift—though not always
simultaneously. Operational costs may decrease in steps as work reductions reach critical
thresholds. The study will analyze these patterns, assess impacts on other utilities, and identify
strategies to optimize cost management and secondary impacts on other utilities.
Key output metrics will include:
- Number of gas mains with low or no usage
- Estimated abandonment costs
- Changes in operational costs
- Financial impacts on other utilities
- Effect of reduced natural gas on cap-and-trade revenues
- Effects on General Fund revenues
The study will model different likelihoods of residential customers disconnecting gas service
after electrifying space and water heating. This will help assess the influence of disconnection
rates on system outcomes. Staff will also evaluate strategies including potential funding needed
to encourage disconnection, including incentive programs, rate design, and block-level
electrification initiatives. Commercial buildings will be assumed to retain gas service to preserve
leasing flexibility.
The study will also examine the physical layout of the gas network under various electrification
scenarios. Unlike many regional systems, the City’s gas infrastructure is highly networked,
allowing for more flexible block-level disconnections. However, not all unused mains can be
removed without affecting system functionality. For example, a medium-diameter main with no
active services might still be needed to maintain pressure or flow. The study will analyze these
constraints and explore targeted investments to enable additional main retirements.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
The study is expected to require about $150,000 in consulting costs ($60,000 for building a gas
model and $90,000 for rate analysis and scenario simulation) and about 0.3 FTE in staff time
(0.15 FTE from Utilities Water-Gas-Wastewater Engineering and 0.15 FTE from the Utilities
Resource Management Division and the Climate Action Team combined).
The gas utility fiscal and resource impact of widespread electrification on the gas utility and the
costs of gas system abandonment will be assessed in this study.
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STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
This topic was discussed by the UAC at its November 2020 and January 2021 meetings, as noted
above, and since then the need to more carefully assess the costs of transitioning the gas utility
has been raised in several meetings of the UAC, S/CAP climate stakeholders, the Council
subcommittees focused on climate contexts, and at City Council. Staff also discussed this topic
with the Climate Action and Sustainability Working Group prior to this meeting and will verbally
report the results.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The CASC’s discussion of this topic does not meet the California Environmental Quality Act’s
definition of a project, pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21065, and no environmental
review is required.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Draft Scenario Design for Gas Transition Study
APPROVED BY:
Alan Kurotori, Utilities Director
Brad Eggleston, Director Public Works/City Engineer
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Attachment A
8
2
4
8
Draft Scenario Design for Gas Transition Study
Scenari
o
Gas
Sales
Reductio
n
Residential Space
and Water Heating
Electrification
Small and Medium
Non-Residential
Space and Water
Heating
Electrification
Medical and Industrial
Electrification*
1 20%25%25%0%
2 40%50%50%0%
3 60%75%75%0%
4 80%100%100%0%
* In practice, some electrification will occur in this sector, but staff does not have good
visibility on the potential for electrification in this space due to the prevalence of unique /
process loads
Methodology:
•For each scenario staff will run a large number of random iterations assigning space and
water heating electrification to different meters / gas mains. A sensitivity will be run for
each scenario varying the likelihood of resident gas meter disconnection.
•For each scenario staff will calculate the range of gas mains with low or no gas usage
resulting from all the iterations for that scenario.
•Staff or the City’s consultant will add one or two sample iterations for each scenario to its
gas system model and identify how many mains noted for removal by the simulation
could not actually be physically removed. Scenario results will be adjusted accordingly.
•Staff will estimate the average abandonment costs for each scenario including sensitivity
analyses between higher costs of individual services abandonment versus larger block
abandonment costs.
•Staff will estimate changes in operational costs, allocations between utilities, and
reductions in General Fund revenues resulting from the decreased gas sales and gas
main abandonment.
•Staff and the City’s consultant will estimate the customer class average rates for each
scenario based on the estimated abandonment costs, reduced gas sales by customer
class, and changes in operational costs.
Based on these results staff will identify physical and financial issues and develop strategies to
mitigate them.
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Attachment A - Draft Scenario Design for Gas Transition Study
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Climate Action and Sustainability Committee
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: ACTION ITEMS
Lead Department: Public Works
Meeting Date: June 13, 2025
Report #:2505-4670
TITLE
Recommendation to City Council to Accept the E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap; CEQA Status -
Under CEQA Guidelines Section 15183, Projects Consistent with an Existing General or
Comprehensive Plan do not Require Additional CEQA Review
RECOMMENDATION
Staff requests that the Climate Action and Sustainability Committee recommend that the City
Council accept the E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap (Attachment C) is meant to coordinate and prioritize the
City’s efforts in expanding electric mobility options – from electric trucks to electric cars to e-
bikes and e-scooters – to meet climate and transportation goals. The Roadmap identifies key
strategies and actions that will help the City and its partners support electric mobility (e-
mobility) adoption of all sizes, develop charging and other infrastructure to support the e-
mobility transition, and ensure electric transportation programs and policies align with related
City efforts. The Roadmap’s major strategies focus on: (1) raising public awareness and
education around electric transportation; (2) expanding access to e-mobility options and
charging infrastructure for underserved groups (such as renters, low-income households, and
non-profits); (3) developing public and shared charging infrastructure and mobility hubs; (4)
coordinating e-mobility efforts with broader transportation efforts; and (5) encouraging
electric-grid-friendly charging and infrastructure practices.
The Roadmap utilizes insights from the EV Charger Needs Assessment, summarized in
Attachment B, to address the particular opportunities and challenges of e-mobility.
Furthermore, the Roadmap is intended to complement and support the implementation of
other City plans and studies such as the Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan and
Reliability and Resiliency Strategic Plan.
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The Roadmap is not intended to be a Work Plan. Instead, it guides other work efforts. Staff has
included a summary in Attachment A of how the Roadmap could guide current work efforts, as
well as some potential work items for the 2026-2027 S/CAP Work Plan Climate Section, along
with an explanation of how they would be guided by the Roadmap’s strategies and actions.
BACKGROUND
In June 2023, the City Council adopted the Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (S/CAP), and
approved the 2023-2025 S/CAP Work Plan. The E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap fulfills the 2023–
2025 S/CAP Work Plan Item 2.5A, which directed staff to develop an EV Strategic Plan. It is
meant to align with the policy guidelines in Appendix C of that document and complements the
Reliability and Resiliency Strategic Plan, which focuses more heavily on the electric distribution
system impacts and benefits of e-mobility and other technologies. This E-Mobility Strategic
Roadmap is intended to provide a coordinated approach to achieving several relevant S/CAP
Goals and Key Actions, as described in the Roadmap itself.
ANALYSIS
The E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap identifies five main strategies to promote electrified
transportation:
1.Raise Awareness: Increase public understanding and adoption of electric transportation
through comprehensive education, safety and outreach campaigns, community events,
and partnerships.
2.Expand Access for Underserved Groups: Address barriers faced by renters, low-income
households, multi-family residents, businesses, commuters, and visitors by expanding
electric transportation charging infrastructure, providing technical assistance, and
creating shared mobility programs like carshare and e-bike lending.
3.Public & Shared Infrastructure: Develop strategically located public EV chargers and
mobility hubs near multifamily developments and employment centers, fostering public-
private partnerships to ensure accessibility and utilization.
4.Integrate Micromobility: Enhance integration of e-bikes and e-scooters with transit and
existing bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure, improving first- and last-mile connectivity and
encouraging multi-modal transportation.
5.Grid-Friendly Charging: Implement smart charging practices, including load
management and grid-responsive solutions, aligning with broader goals outlined in the
Reliability and Resiliency Strategic Plan to support grid stability and resilience.
These Roadmap strategies are meant to guide the role of e-mobility in Palo Alto's existing
sustainability and mobility programs and its future programs, as described in Attachment B. The
City currently hosts EV and e-bike events, runs EV discount campaigns, and operates an EV
Technical Assistance Program to help multifamily properties install electric vehicle chargers.
Additionally, programs like Safe Routes to School and events such as “Bike to Wherever Day”
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promote active transportation. The Roadmap would guide these activities by, for example,
including promotion of e-bikes and e-scooters to enhance active transportation and transit use,
while making sure infrastructure to support these technologies and conventional bicycling is
included when installing e-car charging infrastructure.
The Roadmap would also be used to shape upcoming initiatives. As noted, the Roadmap is not a
work plan, but work items achieving its goals would be included in the 2026-2027 S/CAP Work
Plan. Some tentative work items being considered for inclusion are in Attachment A, including:
•Enhanced Multifamily EV Charging Program (“EV Program 2.0”): This program expands
multifamily charging infrastructure through updated guidelines, increased incentives,
and technical support. Solutions include private multifamily charging, neighborhood e-
mobility hubs, and curbside installations. E-car charger installations would use strategies
to avoid overbuilding based on insights from the EV Charger Needs Assessment
(described below), would explore the use of strategies like managed charging to
minimize electric utility impacts, and would explore including micromobility
infrastructure compatible with City transportation plans.
•Micromobility Network and Shared E-Vehicle Pilot: Following the Shared Micromobility
Feasibility Study, this initiative would pilot shared bikes, e-bikes, and/or e-scooters,
enhancing first- and last-mile connectivity, complementing transit use, and aligning with
the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, with implementation anticipated in 2026.
Staff is currently finalizing an EV Charger Needs Assessment report summarizing the results of
analysis and research completed in the last year to guide the City’s EV charger construction
efforts. Key preliminary insights from that plan are included in Attachment B, and were used to
guide development of the Roadmap. Two scenarios were examined: a moderate “Light EV
Charging” scenario focusing mainly on home and workplace chargers, and a “Robust EV
Charging” scenario envisioning significantly expanded public charging infrastructure to attract a
greater share of commuter and visitor EV charging. The study recommends prioritizing home
charging for multifamily residents as the most cost-effective approach, supplemented
strategically by public fast chargers to serve drivers without private options. It assesses that the
charging price needed to support public charging in Palo Alto is similar to the cost of home
charging in nearby cities, emphasizing that public and workplace charging projects should be
approached carefully to avoid underutilization. All of these insights are reflected in strategies
and actions in the Roadmap.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
There is no additional fiscal or resource impact associated with the E-Mobility Strategic
Roadmap, since this document is meant to guide other work efforts. The fiscal and resource
impact of potential 2026-2027 S/CAP Work Plan items will be evaluated through the 2026-2027
S/CAP Work Plan development process.
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STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
E-Mobility has been a topic of a number of public meetings about the S/CAP, and input from
these meetings has informed this Roadmap. These include:
•Various public and private meetings of the S/CAP Ad Hoc Committee and its Working
Group from 2021 – 2023
•June 5, 2023 Council meeting adopting the Sustainability and Climate Action Plan and
the 2023-2025 S/CAP Work Plan, including guidelines for development of an EV Strategic
Plan (now E-Mobility Strategic Plan)1
•Oct 30, 2024 Planning & Transportation Commission meeting on shared micromobility2
Meetings of the Climate Protection Committee and its Working Group in June 2024,
September 2024, and November 2024 focused on the E-Mobility Strategic Plan and EV
Charger Needs Assessment
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Potential environmental impacts of an EV Strategic Plan (now E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap)
were analyzed as part of the Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (S/CAP) Addendum to the
Comprehensive Plan Environmental Impact Report. On June 5, 2023 (Staff Report #2303-1158),
Council certified the Addendum, which found that the S/CAP programs would not result in any
significant or substantially more severe effects beyond what was previously analyzed in the
Comprehensive Plan EIR. Under CEQA Guidelines section 15183, projects consistent with an
existing general or comprehensive plan do not require additional CEQA review.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Current and Potential Work Items and How the E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap
Will Guide and Complement Their Development
Attachment B: Insights from EV Charger Needs Assessment
Attachment C: E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap
APPROVED BY:
Brad Eggleston, Director Public Works/City Engineer
1 City Council, June 5, 2023, Adoption of a Resolution Approving an Addendum to the 2017 Comprehensive Plan Env
ironmental Impact Report and Adopting the Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (S/CAP); Approval of the 2023-2
025 S/CAP Workplan; and Review of the 2023 Earth Day Report, https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/meetings/Ite
mWithTemplateType?id=2276&meetingTemplateType=2&compiledMeetingDocumentId=7200
2 Planning and Transportation Commission, October 30, 2024, Request for Feedback on the Development of a
Feasibility Study for a Shared Micromobility Program in Palo Alto
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/viewer?id=0&type=7&uid=f234f57c-3691-46e7-8666-c45662976e81
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Attachment A
Current and Potential Work Items and How the E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap Will
Guide and Complement Their Development
Contents:
1. Current Activities Implementing E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap
2. Potential 2026-2027 S/CAP Work Plan Items to Implement E-Mobility Roadmap
3. How the E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap Would Guide Implementation of Current
Activities and Potential Future Work Plan Items
4. Current Activities and Potential 2026-2027 Work Plan Items that the E-Mobility
Strategic Roadmap Will Complement
1. Current Activities Aligned With E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap
In line with E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap Strategy 1, the City promotes electric vehicle
(EV) charging, active transportation, and transit in a variety of ways, including:
•EV, bike, and e-bike expos and workshops for the general public, employees of
major commuters, and residents of multi-family buildings where EV chargers
have been installed
•EV discount campaigns
•Workshops, curriculum components, and educational materials to build student
bike skills for students
•Use of volunteer school-site representatives to support student bike adoption
•Bike to Wherever day
•General outreach through a variety of City electronic and non-electronic channels
•Promoting these topics at community and school events
In line with E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap Strategy 2, the City promotes EV charger
access for multi-family residents through its EV Technical Assistance Program.
2. Potential 2026-2027 S/CAP Work Plan Items Aligned With E-Mobility Roadmap
Enhanced Multifamily EV Charging Infrastructure Program (EV Program 2.0)
S/CAP Key Action(s): EV5, EV6, EV7
Target Completion Date:
Resource Availability:
Description: Update program guidelines, incentives (i.e. rebates, financing), and
technical assistance offerings for the installation of EV charging infrastructure that
supports multifamily residents through:
a) private on-site charging at multifamily properties;
b) publicly-accessible charging at neighborhood e-mobility hubs hosted on either
public or private properties; and
c) publicly-owned or public-private partnership neighborhood curbside charging
installations;
with the goal of greatly increasing access to EV charging to multifamily residents by
the end of 2027.
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Attachment A - Current and Potential Work Items and How the E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap Will Guide and Complement Their
Development
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Attachment A
Implement Micromobility Feasibility Study recommendations
S/CAP Key Action(s): M1, M2
Target Completion Date: 2026
Resource Availability: Fully staffed and
partially funded, need to evaluate based
on recommendation.
Description: Pursue a bike/e-bike/e-scooter share pilot program or other
recommendation as advised by the Micromobility Feasibility Study, to be finalized in
fall 2025.
3. How the E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap Would Guide Implementation of Current
Activities and Potential Future Work Plan Items
The bullet points below summarize how each E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap strategy
would guide implementation of current activities and the potential work plan items
above:
Strategy 1: Raise awareness of the advantages of electric transportation and provide
resources and assistance to help residents, businesses, commuters, and visitors
transition
•Staff would continue promotion of EV charging, active transportation, and transit
•Staff would explore ways to enhance active transportation and transit promotion with
promotion of e-bike, e-scooter, and other small EV promotion
•Staff would explore greater use of ambassadors to promote non-ICE transportation
Strategy 2: Help underserved residents, businesses / nonprofits, and commuters access
electric transportation
•Staff would expand its EV charging program focused on multi-family charger access,
with a particular focus on affordable housing
•The program would use a combination of strategies (such as mobility hubs, curbside
charging, shared EV charging, and individual unit EV charging as appropriate) to
provide multi-family EV charging access without overbuilding
•Economically efficient program designs would be explored for the program with the
goal of enabling the multi-family charger program to serve the entire community with
available funding sources
•Staff would explore adding safe, secure bike and e-bike parking and charging to
multi-family buildings when adding EV charging for enhanced safety and ability to
access active transportation and e-mobility
Strategy 3: Pursue public and shared electric transportation infrastructure
•Staff would develop the public and workplace EV charging study in alignment with
the guidance in the E-Mobility Strategic Plan roadmap
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Attachment A
•Staff would pursue a bike/e-bike/e-scooter share pilot program or other
recommendation as advised by the Micromobility Feasibility Study, to be finalized in
fall 2025.
Strategy 4: Develop small EV (e.g. e-bike, e-scooter) infrastructure that complements
City active transportation and public transit strategies
•When implementing e-mobility hubs near multi-family buildings, staff would ensure
they are compatible with future bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure
•When developing e-mobility hubs, staff would look for opportunities to align with
micromobility pilots or other recommendations approved by Council based on the
Micromobility Feasibility Study
Strategy 5: Encourage charging that helps the local and statewide electric system and is
aligned with Reliability and Resiliency Strategic Plan strategies and actions
•When implementing multi-family focused EV charger program, staff would explore
promoting or requiring technologies that minimize grid impacts of EV charging
•When implementing electric system upgrades to support EV charging in multi-family
buildings, staff would evaluate implementing upgrades needed to additionally
support building electrification
•Where grid-responsive EV charging is cost-effective based on Reliability and
Resiliency Strategic Plan analysis and supported by Council policy, staff would
incorporate it into multi-family EV charging programs and promote it citywide
4. Current Activities and Potential 2026-2027 Work Plan Items that the E-Mobility
Strategic Roadmap Will Complement
Current activities:
•A Safe Streets for All plan is currently in development
•The Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan is currently in development
Potential 2026-2027 Work Plan Items:
Achieve Benchmarks for Bicycle and Pedestrian Capital Improvement Projects
S/CAP Key Action(s): M1, M2, M3
Target Completion Date: Varying, by
2027
Resource Availability: Varying
Description:
South Palo Alto Bikeways Demonstration Project: Upgrade crossings and bicycle
facilities on East Meadow Dr and Fabian Way to improve safety, especially for
students traveling to school. Construction anticipated for summer 2026. Project is fully
staffed and funded.
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Attachment A
Churchill Avenue Enhanced Bikeway Project: Improve walking and bicycling on
Churchill Avenue with a multi-use path, intersection improvements, and landscaping.
Project work is focused between the Caltrain tracks and El Camino Real. Construction
is scheduled to finish by summer 2026.
Quarry Road Extension at El Camino Park: Develop underused portion of El Camino
Park to provide a direct connection from El Camino Real to the Palo Alto Transit
Center. Project is led by Stanford. By 2027, project will complete the Caltrans process
for the Encroachment Permit and prepare plans, specifications, and estimate
construction documents for the project in both Caltrans and City right-of-way. In
addition, the team will perform both a bike and transit operations assessment and
recommend operational scenarios to inform future bikes, bus and shuttle operations in
and around the Transit Center.
South Palo Alto Bike/Ped Connectivity: Identify locations and design concepts for
additional east-west bicycle and pedestrian crossings of the Caltrain railroad tracks in
the southern part of the City. Project will complete following Council adoption of a
final report in Q3 of 2026, and next steps for the City include securing grant funding
for final design and construction.
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Attachment B
Overview of Preliminary EV Charger Needs Assessment Results
This document summarizes key findings from the draft EV Charger Needs Assessment
conducted by Energy and Environmental Economics (E3) for the City of Palo Alto. The
report models the level of EV charging infrastructure needed to meet the City's “80x30”
climate goal—reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 80% below 1990 levels by
2030—and assesses the costs and business models that could support this
infrastructure buildout.
Overview and Key Findings
Palo Alto will need to electrify a large share of its vehicle fleet to meet emissions
reduction targets. The City’s electrification goals, combined with State mandates,
suggest that at least 42,000 to 50,000 light-duty electric vehicles (EVs) could be on the
road by 2040, along with commuter and visitor EVs and medium-duty and heavy-duty
fleet EVs.
To support this transition, the City will need between 35,000 and 60,000 EV chargers
across all use cases (home, workplace, public, and fleet). Two charging scenarios were
modeled to illustrate the opposite ends of that range: a “Light EV Charging” scenario
with limited public charging and lower adoption rates, and a “Robust EV Charging”
scenario with higher EV adoption and substantial public infrastructure investment.
Under the robust scenario, Palo Alto would act as a regional “charging hub” for
commuters and visitors. Up-front charger costs rise substantially in the robust scenario
but are offset by increased utilization and charging revenues if care is taken to ensure
charging capacity aligns with demand. The Robust EV Charging scenario assumes high
demand.
Business Models and Cost Recovery
The analysis examines multiple business models for charger deployment, including
City-owned, third-party owned, and Charging-as-a-Service (CaaS). Public chargers—
particularly DC fast chargers—are substantially more expensive than home chargers,
but can serve more vehicles and are necessary to support drivers without home access.
A key finding is that prioritizing home charging for multifamily residents can offer a
lower-cost path than investing heavily in public chargers, especially through a
combination of individual L1 chargers and shared on-site L2 chargers or nearby public
charging to supplement.
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Commuter, Visitor, and E-Bike Considerations
Palo Alto’s strategy must also consider how much charging infrastructure will serve non-
resident commuters and visitors. A low-support strategy serving 25% of this population’s
charging would require about 3,000 public and workplace chargers. Supporting 75% of
commuter/visitor charging would require about 16,000 chargers, a level that would
require that public charging in Palo Alto be significantly cheaper than home charging or
that many commuters and visitors buy EVs even if they do not have access to adequate
home charging and charge them in Palo Alto. It would require charging costs of
approximately $0.42/kWh to recover the costs of up-front capital investment. This is
comparable to PG&E home charging rates in surrounding jurisdictions, meaning that
careful evaluation will need to be done site by site to ensure chargers are fully utilized
and overbuilding does not occur.
The report also evaluates the role of e-bikes in reducing vehicle miles traveled and
GHG emissions. Incentivizing e-bike use for commuting and errands can provide cost-
effective emissions abatement, especially if paired with supportive infrastructure, but in
many cases does not represent a cost savings over driving, unlike conventional
bicycling, unless the e bike is used for 2,500 to 3,000 miles per year (about 6.8 – 8.2
miles per day if used every day or 12.5 – 15 miles per day if used only for work trips).
But these numbers are highly dependent on assumptions about the cost of the bicycle,
which ranges widely, and annual maintenance, which can also vary significantly.
Policy Considerations
The assessment surfaced the following policy considerations:
• Certain customer segments have higher barriers to adoption, such as renters and
multifamily residents. Creative business models (such as CaaS) will be critical to
helping landlords serve the former, while policy decisions about whether to pursue a
public-focused or home-focused charging strategy are critical for the latter.
•Investment decisions in public charging should account for charger utilization and
alignment with customer preferences (e.g., preference for DC fast charging).
Mapping of nearby uses and staged investments may help avoid overbuilding.
• Business models should be tailored to customer type and ownership model, with
flexibility to combine public, private, and CaaS approaches.
• Public funding may be needed in locations the private market will not serve, such as
low-income multifamily buildings.
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E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap - Page 1 of 6
E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap
Table of Contents
1 Introduction............................................................................................................................................................1
2 E-Mobility Overview ...............................................................................................................................................2
3 Policy Context.........................................................................................................................................................3
4 Role of the E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap...............................................................................................................4
5 Strategies and Actions.............................................................................................................................................4
1 Introduction
This E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap provides a framework for Palo Alto to advance its electric transportation
goals. It lays out the vision, guiding principles, strategies, and actions necessary to transition to a sustainable,
equitable, and electrified transportation network that aligns with local and state climate objectives.
1.1 Vision Statement
A community where safe, multi-modal, carbon-free transportation is widely available, user-friendly, and highly
utilized by commuters, visitors, and residents regardless of income level
The vision promotes a comprehensive, accessible, and inclusive approach to transportation, emphasizing multi-
modal electric mobility solutions that are environmentally sustainable and beneficial for all community
members, regardless of income.
1.2 Guiding Principles
These guiding principles shape the roadmap's strategic approach, emphasizing the importance of equity,
accessibility, strategic infrastructure deployment, efficient use of resources, and integration with broader
electrification and resilience planning.
•Promote electrified mobility alternatives to single-occupancy vehicles
•Provide access to electric transportation regardless of income level
•Access to adequate charging should be available to all residents, commuters, and visitors
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•Information on purchasing, renting/sharing, and charging of electric transportation should be widely
available
•Charging infrastructure should be provided at appropriate locations, speeds, and configurations that
meet the needs of all residents, commuters, and visitors
•Pursue low-grid-impact charging solutions that integrate with broader electrification planning
•Focus on strategic siting of publicly accessible charging to serve nearby electric transportation users
•Where appropriate, provide financial incentives to the community to install chargers
•Provide cost-efficient business models that leverage the financial strengths of each stakeholder
The guiding principles provide more nuance to the vision statement listed above, describing how the vision for
a future community will be implemented through the strategies and actions in this roadmap.
2 E-Mobility Overview
This section provides an overview of e-mobility broadly, its infrastructure needs, and how it might be used in
Palo Alto.
2.1 What is E-Mobility?
E-mobility involves the use of electric-powered vehicles as an alternative to traditional fossil fuel-based
transportation. It includes a range of transportation modes such as electric cars, buses, bikes, scooters, and trucks,
offering cleaner and often more efficient alternatives.
2.2 E-Mobility in Palo Alto
Palo Alto’s e-mobility ecosystem encompasses a diverse range of electric transportation options. Personal electric
vehicles, such as e-bikes and e-scooters, are increasingly popular for short-distance travel and first- and last-mile
connectivity. Shared micromobility services, including bike-share and scooter-share programs, are not available in
Palo Alto but could provide accessible options for those without personal vehicles. As a suburban community, Palo
Alto’s e-mobility will include electric cars as a major component. In the commercial sector, medium-duty electric
delivery vans can be utilized for local logistics, reducing emissions from freight transport, but charging is likely
delivered primarily outside Palo Alto. Heavy-duty electric vehicles, such as electric buses and garbage trucks, are
being integrated into public transit and municipal services, and do need charging infrastructure.
2.3 Co-Benefits
E-mobility offers co-benefits beyond GHG reduction, including improved local air quality from zero tailpipe
emissions, reduced noise pollution, enhanced public health through increased active transport options, and lower
transportation costs for users due to reduced fuel and maintenance expenses. Expanded adoption of small EVs
like e-bikes and e-scooters could enable access to transit for those who currently have difficulty accessing it and
could widen the population using active transportation modes, reducing congestion and non-exhaust air pollution
from cars (which can be generated by electric cars as well). Traveling with small EVs is also more energy efficient,
reducing impacts to the electric grid and reducing the amount of renewable electricity generation needed.
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2.4 E-Mobility as a Last Mile Solution
E-bikes and e-scooters facilitate last-mile journeys by providing a quick, flexible connection between transit stops
and final destinations, enhancing the overall attractiveness of public transportation, reducing reliance on personal
vehicles for short trips, and improving network accessibility.
2.5 Economics and Tradeoffs: E-Mobility vs. Conventional Mobility
E-mobility includes tradeoffs against conventional mobility and may be more or less expensive. For example, e-
cars are cheaper than conventional cars over time but can result in range anxiety and charging issues for adopters
and the need for specialized charging infrastructure. E-bikes and e-scooters, on the other hand, have higher costs
per mile than conventional bicycles and scooters, but are balanced by increased convenience, accessibility, and
ease of use.
2.6 E-Mobility Charging Infrastructure
Small EVs can usually charge with a common 120V outlet, though for some e-bike designs without detachable
batteries it may be challenging to find an outlet convenient to secure charging. E-car charging infrastructure varies
from low-speed, low-cost Level 1 chargers suitable for most average daily use, to faster Level 2 chargers providing
enough charging for several days or for long trips, and high-speed direct current (DC) fast chargers to supplement
home charging or for other public and commercial applications. Heavy vehicle fleets may require many high-
capacity chargers, straining local electric grids. Charging considerations include up-front capital investment,
ensuring sufficient electrical capacity, optimizing charger placement, and addressing safety concerns such as
battery thermal events.
3 Policy Context
This E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap fulfills the 2023-2025 S/CAP Work Plan Work Item 2.5A to develop an EV
Strategic Plan. It is meant to align with the policy guidelines in Appendix C of that document and complements
the Reliability and Resiliency Strategic Plan, which focuses more heavily on the electric distribution system
impacts and benefits of e-mobility and other technologies. This E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap is intended to
provide a coordinated approach to achieving several relevant Sustainability and climate Action Plan (S/CAP)
Goals and Key Actions, including:
•The Electric Vehicle section Goals to reduce transportation-related GHG emissions and to build out an
EV charging network
•The Mobility section Goals to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and increase active transportation
and transit use
•Mobility Key Action M2 focused on increasing access to transit using, among other solutions,
micromobility as a last-mile solution
•EV Key Actions EV1 and EV3 focused on EV promotion, including promoting alternative transportation
and electric micromobility alongside EVs
•EV Key Action EV4 on facilitating adoption of EVs of all types
•EV Key Action EV5 focused on creating infrastructure for electric micromobility and active transportation
when building EV infrastructure
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4 Role of the E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap
The E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap is intended as a high-level strategic document to guide work on e-mobility. It
is not meant to be a work plan, and specific work items will be identified in other plans or the 2026-2027 S/CAP
Work Plan. In addition, this roadmap is meant to complement other plans, not replace or overlap with them.
Complementary plans include:
•Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan (in development)
•Safe Streets for All (in development)
•Reliability and Resiliency Strategic Plan (adopted, being implemented)
•Shared Micromobility Study (in development)
•EV Charger Needs Assessment (in development)
The table below shows various topics and how they are addressed in each plan, strategy, or roadmap:
Topic Plan(s)
Building the bike network Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan
Bike, pedestrian, and e-bike safety Safe Streets for All, Bicycle and Pedestrian
Transportation Plan
Shared e-bikes and e-scooters Shared Micromobility Feasibility Study
Mitigating the grid impact of e-cars and e-trucks Reliability and Resiliency Strategic Plan
Availability of safe charging infrastructure for
various types of e-mobility and users
E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap
Strategies for e-mobility promotion E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap
Economics of e-mobility as a solution for GHG
reduction and achievement of co-benefits
E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap
Equitable access to e-mobility E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap
Number of EV chargers needed to support various
sectors, business models for charging
EV Charger Needs Assessment
Private e-bike economics EV Charger Needs Assessment
In several of the strategies and actions below the E-Mobility Strategic Roadmap notes coordination with the
plans and analyses above (for example, making sure managed charging is promoted or required in multi-family
EV charging installations to coordinate with the Reliability and Resiliency Strategic Plan).
5 Strategies and Actions
The following strategies and actions are designed to guide the City’s e-mobility efforts in the areas of promotion,
equity, supporting infrastructure, and ensuring e-mobility efforts complement other transportation and electric
grid reliability planning efforts. Collectively, these strategies and actions provide a roadmap for coordinated
implementation across various programs, projects, and related efforts involving e-mobility as a central focus or as
one of a broader set of objectives.
5.1 Strategy 1: Raise awareness of the advantages of electric transportation and provide resources
and assistance to help residents, businesses, commuters, and visitors transition
This strategy focuses on comprehensive outreach, education, and partnership-building for e-mobility. Outreach
efforts are intended to be complementary, with smaller e-mobility technologies like e-bikes and e-scooters being
promoted as part of efforts to promote active transportation or as a last mile solution for transit, and emissions
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reduction more broadly being promoted in the context of active transportation and transit solutions – promoting
getting out of cars, but if you have to drive, drive electric. Equitable promotion of e-mobility and regional
partnerships are key considerations in this strategy to reach income-qualified travelers and commuters.
Action 1: Continue and expand existing outreach, education, and engagement efforts to promote electric
transportation adoption to residents and commuters
Action 2: Combine promotion of public transit and active transportation with promotion of e-mobility solutions,
especially “last mile” solutions
Action 3: Create communications tailored to the needs of low-income residents and renters
Action 4: Seek regional partnerships to promote all types of electric transportation to residents regionally and to
promote electric cars and trucks to businesses like rideshare / delivery with high regional vehicle use
5.2 Strategy 2: Help underserved residents, businesses / nonprofits, and commuters access electric
transportation
This strategy addresses barriers faced by underserved populations by facilitating access to electric vehicles,
chargers, and shared mobility services through targeted programs and incentives. In this context “underserved”
means groups who are not well served by private industry efforts to install charging. A key consideration for this
strategy is economic efficiency to ensure infrastructure being built is widely accessible.
Action 1: Active facilitation of EV charging, bicycle infrastructure, and shared electric vehicles (carshare, e-bike
share, e-scooter share, etc.) for multi-family complexes, major employers, and in employment centers
Action 2: Explore preferential parking and charging for visitors in electric vehicles
Action 3: Explore ways to ease the provision of electrical infrastructure to support chargers in multi-family
complexes, major employers, and in employment centers
Action 4: Identify cost-efficient business models for service delivery that are highly scalable and minimize the
amount of additional funding and financing required
5.3 Strategy 3: Pursue public and shared electric transportation infrastructure
This strategy aims to expand public and shared charging infrastructure to ensure high utilization of infrastructure,
enable access for those less able to afford their own e-mobility solutions or who are not yet ready to fully commit
to e-mobility, and to enable facilities that can be used by multiple groups in the community (such as employees
and nearby multi-family residents).
Action 1: Map areas of high potential for shared electric transportation infrastructure such as publicly available
charging, bike infrastructure, or shared vehicles
Action 2: Explore e-mobility hubs near multi-family housing and employment centers that include amenities like
DC fast EV charging, electric car share, bike share, or bicycle infrastructure.
Action 3: Explore public-private partnerships (e.g. in churches, neighborhood centers) and on-street charging to
add EV charging allowing for all-day and/or overnight charging near employment centers and multi-family
residences.
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5.4 Strategy 4: Develop small EV (e.g. e-bike, e-scooter) infrastructure that complements City
active transportation and public transit strategies
This strategy ensures that e-mobility strategies enhance active transportation networks and programs, for
example by integrating micromobility infrastructure—such as e-bike and e-scooter docking and supportive
facilities—with existing bike and pedestrian routes and ensuring mobility hubs do not interfere with bike lanes
or other active transportation pathways.
Action 1: Ensure e-mobility hub locations complement public transit and bicycle/scooter friendly routes where
possible
Action 2: Pursue implementation of low-stress bicycle facilities to encourage e-bike and e-scooter use, especially
for novice riders
Action 3: Coordinate e-mobility strategies with City active transportation and public transit strategies wherever
possible
5.5 Strategy 5: Encourage charging that helps the local and statewide electric system and is aligned
with Reliability and Resiliency Strategic Plan strategies and actions
This strategy is focused on making sure e-mobility infrastructure, primarily e-car charging, minimizes its impact
on the electric grid. It includes smart charging and load management programs to optimize charging behavior,
minimize grid impacts, and align with the city’s reliability and resiliency objectives.
Action 1: Investigate programs and rate designs that facilitate employee daytime charging in Palo Alto
Action 2: Promote, facilitate, or require load management for large concentrations of electric vehicle charging
Action 3: Explore opportunities for vehicle to home and grid integration in coordination with Reliability and
Resiliency Strategic Plan implementation efforts.
Action 4: Ensure electrical capacity added to support electric transportation can support other priority
technologies like building electrification, solar, storage, and similar technologies
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