1 STAFF REPORT
DATE: August 13, 2024
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Mandip Kaur Samra, General Manager, Burbank Water and Power VIA: Drew Johnstone, Sustainability Officer
BY: Andres Azarian, Senior Administrative Analyst
SUBJECT: Adoption of a Resolution to Submit a Grant Application to the U.S.
Department of Transportation’s Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Opportunity to Authorize the Grant Application, Acceptance, and Execution for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Projects
RECOMMENDATION
1. Adopt A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BURBANK
AUTHORIZING THE GRANT APPLICATION, ACCEPTANCE, AND EXECUTION
FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
(Attachment 1); and
2. Find that this activity is exempt from CEQA (14 CCR §§ 15301 and 15303).
BACKGROUND
Burbank Water and Power ( BWP) regularly monitors and researches available grant opportunities to supplement revenue sources, make internal projects and customer programs more cost-effective, and reduce the impact of costs on customers’ bills.
BWP identified a grant opportunity that will benefit the City’s transportation electrification goals. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Opportunity was funded with authorization from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which will provide $2.5 billion over five years to a wide range of applicants, including cities, counties, local governments, and tribes. Round two of funding makes up to $ 800 million available to strategically deploy electric vehicle (EV) charging and other alternative vehicle-fueling infrastructure projects in publicly accessible locations in urban and rural communities and along designated Alternative Fuel Corridors. BWP previously applied for Round one of funding in May 2023, but did not receive an award.
However, this application received a “Highly Recommended” rating for meeting all eligibility requirements.
WATER AND
POWER
2 DISCUSSION
The transportation sector accounts for the largest portion of U.S. Greenhouse Gas (GHG) total emissions. BWP plays a key role in facilitating the adoption of transportation electrification through education, the development of programs , and the installation of publicly accessible EV charging infrastructure. T his project will see the installation of a combination of DC F ast Chargers (DCFC) and level 2 chargers, the two most common publicly available charging speeds. Completion of the project will benefit Burbank and the Southern California region by facilitating the adoption of zero-emission electric vehicles and therefore, reducing GHG emissions.
The City of Burbank is a transit nexus at the junction of the SR-134 and I-5 freeways. This makes Burbank a travel hub for passenger vehicles moving in and out of Los Angeles County. According to CALTRANS traffic volume data, I-5 sees peak average daily traffic of 226,000 vehicles, ranked 388
th out of 7,115 similarly measured stretches of freeway in the state. By situating charging stations near these freeways, Burbank can better support long-distance travel in the state and day-to-day travel for residents and commuters.
As of July 2024, the City has 108 public EV charging ports, including four DCFC and 42 curbside ports. As of July 1, 2024, the public charging rates are as follows:
Level 2 Chargers
4 pm to 7 pm on weekdays: $0.3878
All other days and times: $0.2178
DCFC
4 pm to 7 pm on weekdays: $0.6278
All other days and times: $0.3778
The total number of charging sessions provided in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-24 was 87,456, which resulted in approximately 697,064 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions avoided and revenues of $259,860.
For this grant, BWP has identified the potential for 26 new DCFC and 32 new Level 2 chargers for commuters, visitors, and residents of Burbank and the surrounding cities .
Installing these charging stations will help Burbank residents , and be a crucial driver to promote EV adoption throughout the San Fernando Valley and beyond. The charging stations will be available to the public 18-24 hours a day, depending on the site, to allow for use by multifamily dwellers and commuters.
BWP has identified a short list of sites to be included in the grant application . Final sites and quantities of chargers are subject to change. The disadvantaged community (DAC) and low -income (LI) community information are taken from the California Climate Investments Priority Populations 4.0 map:
3 No. Site Description Amount DAC LI
1. George Izay Park
1111 W. Olive Avenue
DCFC - 2 $595,000 Y Y
2. McCambridge Park
1515 N. Glenoaks Boulevard
DCFC – 2
Level 2 Ports - 4
$607,000 N N
3. Orange Grove Parking
Structure
133 E. Orange Grove
DCFC – up to 12
Level 2 Ports - 8
$2,400,000 Y Y
4. Metrolink Parking
201 N. Front Street
DCFC – up to 12 $1,600,000 Y Y
5. Courthouse Parking Structure
327 E. Angeleno Avenue
DCFC – up to 4
Level 2 Ports - 20
$1,500,000 Y Y
Summary 32 DCFC
32 Level 2
$5,032,000
+ $1,670,000
Subtotal $6,702,000
20% match $1,340,400
Total Grant Request $5,361,600
The EV charger infrastructure projects in Burbank are strongly positioned for a DOT Community Charging Grant because they achieve the following:
• Support zero-emission regional and local transit along major freeways; • Bring electric vehicle charging infrastructure to underserved and emission - impacted communities; and
• Expand an existing City-owned network with a track record of successful projects.
All awards of FY 2024 and FY 2025 funding are available for obligation thr ough September 30, 2027. FY 2025 funds cannot be obligated before October 1, 2024. Once funds are obligated, CFI Program funds are available until expended. Award recipients submit quarterly progress reports and Federal Financial Reports to monitor project progress and ensure accountability and financial transparency. On August 1, 2024, the BWP Board voted 6 – 0 to recommend Council to adopt a resolution authorizing the grant application, acceptance, and execution for EV charging infrastructure projects.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Applying for or taking receipt of these funds is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 14 Cal. Code Regs. § 15378(b)(4) (excluding governmental fiscal activities that do not involve any commitment to a specific project).
However, because the City desires to install electric vehicle chargers after receiving such funds, staff recommends that Council find such installation activity exempt under 14 Cal.
Code Regs. §§ 15301 (exempting activity involving minor alteration of existing public or private structures [and] facilities), and 15303 (exempting construction of small facilities or installation of equipment) and direct the General Manager to file a notice of exemption before commencement of the installation.
4 FISCAL IMPACT
According to DOT, a total of $ 800 million is available nationwide, with a minimum grant request of $500,000 and a maximum request of $15,000,000. The grant requires a minimum local match of 20% of total project costs; the match can be provided as cash , in-kind, or by a third party . BWP will request $5,361,600 in grant funding for the project, which will require a match of $1,340,400 with a total project cost of $6,702,000. The local match will be provided by revenues collected by BWP in the form of low-carbon fuel standard credit sales.
CONCLUSION
Staff recommends that Council approve a resolution to submit a grant application to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Opportunity, find the activity exempt from CEQA, and authorize the BWP General Manager, as the City Manager’s designee, to execute grant agreements.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – Resolution
Attachment 2 – California Climate Investments Priority Populations 4.0 Map of Burbank Attachment 3 – Notice of Funding Opportunity