Commercial, Distributed Energy Resources, GHG Emissions  -  May 15, 2024

San Diego Expands Public EV Charging

The San Diego City Council approved an agreement to add hundreds of new electric vehicle charging stations at public facilities throughout the city.

The charging stations will be installed at city libraries and recreation centers within the next two years.

 The Council awarded a contract to True Upside Consulting LLC (TUC) for installation and maintenance of the charging stations. Under the terms of the contract, True Upside will pay the City for the use of the public property and will own and operate all of the chargers on City parking lots. The program lays out a process for the City to buy out the installed infrastructure with revenue collected over the 10-year contract, not to exceed $60 million.

"This innovative public-private partnership will help deliver more EV charging stations to San Diegans across the city," Mayor Todd Gloria said in a statement. "The agreement exemplifies our commitment to advancing our Climate Action Plan and ensuring that electric vehicle charging is accessible and feasible for our residents.”

San Diego has more than 400 City-owned parking lots, with nearly 100 of them located at community recreation centers and libraries. Those lots will be the focus of the first phase of construction. In later phases, the chargers will be installed in parking lots at City beaches, municipal office buildings, fire and police stations, parks and open spaces.