Edison International Applauds ZETA on EV Policy Platform

Edison International applauds the release of a many-faceted policy platform to hasten the adoption of electric vehicles announced by the Washington, D.C.-based Zero Emission Transportation Association.

ZETA, of which Edison International is a member, is the first industry-backed coalition of its kind advocating for 100% of vehicles sold by 2030 to be electric. The six pillars of its policy platform- Opens in new window are light-duty EV adoption, medium- and heavy-duty vehicle electrification, a national charging initiative, encouraging domestic manufacturing, performance and emission standards and federal leadership.

“We embrace ZETA’s vision to accelerate adoption of electric vehicles across the country,” said Drew Murphy, senior vice president of Strategy and Corporate Development for Edison International. “It is very much in line with the strategy of our utility, Southern California Edison, to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality in our state by helping to facilitate the adoption of electric transportation in all communities.”

Through its Charge Ready- Opens in new window programs, SCE plans to invest more than $800 million over the next few years in infrastructure to electrify passenger cars as well as medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

“To ensure environmental justice, we purposefully focus our efforts to expand infrastructure in state-designated ‘Disadvantaged Communities,’ or communities that are most adversely impacted by vehicle emissions, usually located along major highways and near ports,” said Michael Backstrom, SCE managing director of Energy & Environmental Policy.

These programs will add nearly 40,000 charging stations for passenger EVs, as well as charging to support at least 8,490 trucks, buses, forklifts and other industrial equipment. The utility also offers attractive commercial rate options to make EV charging more affordable during times of the day that benefit both customers and the grid.

Recent examples of SCE’s electric car charging projects in impacted communities of Southern California include 39 EV chargers throughout the El Monte Union High School District- Opens in new window, 60 at the Panda Restaurant Group- Opens in new window in Rosemead and, most recently, 200 at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds Fairplex in Pomona- Opens in new window.

Charging to support 80 electric buses- Opens in new window is also being installed at Antelope Valley Schools Transportation Agency in Lancaster, Visalia Unified School District in Visalia, Pleasant View Elementary School in Porterville and two sites for Porterville Transit in Porterville.

In addition, SCE has been instrumental in developing and implementing incentive programs and other policies that encourage EV adoption across all socioeconomic levels. SCE serves as the administrator for the statewide California Clean Fuel Reward- Opens in new window program, which offers vehicle rebates for new EVs directly at the point of sale. The program was developed by the California Air Resources Board and utilities throughout the state. SCE will be launching a new rebate program for used vehicles later this year.

SCE’s transportation electrification measures support the company’s vision- Opens in new window for achieving carbon neutrality in California, which calls for 75% of California’s vehicles to be electric by 2045. That includes 76% of cars, 67% of medium-duty vehicles and 38% of heavy-duty vehicles.

In addition to the actions already underway in California, federal policies like those described in the ZETA platform will be vital to ensuring the needed growth in zero-emission transportation across the country. For example, tax credits for the purchase of used EVs and federal investment in robust EV charging infrastructure will help overcome key barriers of cost and access to charging that inhibit broad EV adoption today.

Edison International is among more than 30 of ZETA’s founding members, which includes EV and equipment manufacturers, energy companies and others.