Inland Counties Incentive Project
Coming May 18, 2021 – project details now available. Informational webinar will be provided prior to project opening.
Overview
The Inland Counties Incentive Project promotes easy access to zero-emission vehicle infrastructure for the purchase and installation of eligible electric vehicle (EV) chargers in Butte, El Dorado, Imperial, Kings, Merced, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tulare, and Yolo counties – with a total of $17.5 million in available funds.
Eligible Rebates for Level 2 Chargers:
| Eligible Rebates for Level 2 Chargers | Amount per Connector |
|---|---|
| Base Rebate | Up to $3,500, or 75% of project costs, whichever is less |
| Disadvantaged Community (DAC) or Low-Income Community (LIC) | Additional $500 |
| Multi-unit dwelling (MUD) site | Additional $2,000 |
Please note: If the site qualifies as both a DAC and LIC, each Level 2 connector is only eligible for an additional $500.
Eligible Rebates for DC Fast Chargers:
| DCFC Power Level | General Market Rebate | Disadvantaged Community (DAC)/Low-Income Community (LIC) Rebate |
|---|---|---|
| 50 kW - 99.99 kW | Up to $30,000; or 75% of the total project cost, whichever is less | Up to $40,000; or 75% of the total project cost, whichever is less |
| 100 kW+ | Up to $60,000; or 75% of the total project cost, whichever is less | Up to $80,000; or 75% of the total project cost, whichever is less |
A minimum of 35% of funding in each county is required to be invested in DAC/LIC applications. This minimum investment is by technology type (DCFC, Level 2).
A minimum of 25% of funding is required to be invested in unincorporated communities in Placer, Solano, Stanislaus, and Yolo counties. This minimum investment is enforced by county, not technology type.
All final rebate amounts are determined by the total eligible project costs. Find out more about eligible site types and eligible rebate amounts for DAC/LIC and non-DAC/LIC applicants in the FAQ section.
You will need the following to begin your application:
- Authority to apply — All applicants must submit a completed Site Verification Form within five calendar days of applying
- Installation site address
- TIN/EIN for recipient of rebate check
Eligibility Requirements
Project cost requirements:
- All costs may be incurred starting March 10, 2021 but are incurred at your own risk prior to the date your funds are reserved (e.g., application may be determined ineligible, or funds may be unavailable at time of application)
- Rebates are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis
Applicant requirements:
- Be a site owner or their authorized agent with a Site Verification Form submitted within five calendar days of application date
- Be a business, nonprofit organization, California Native American Tribe listed with the Native American Heritage Commission or a public or government entity based in California or operate as a California-based affiliate
Installation site requirements:
DC Fast Chargers
- Located in Butte, El Dorado, Imperial, Kings, Merced, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tulare, or Yolo counties
- Chargers are publicly available 24 hours per day, 365 days a year
- Charger(s) must not be located behind a fence or in a gated parking lot closed to the public after hours
- Premises must be well-lit, secure, and in compliance with all federal, state and municipal laws, ordinances, rules, codes, standards and regulations
- Be an eligible site: airport, casino, city/county/privately-owned parking lot or garage, college/university, gas station, grocery store, hospital, hotel, library, public transit hub, restaurant, retail shopping center, sheriff/police station, urban/suburban retail core, or curbside charging
- All eligible DC fast charger sites are also eligible for Level 2 chargers as part of a combination application
Level 2 Chargers
- Located in Butte, El Dorado, Imperial, Kings, Merced, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tulare, or Yolo counties
- Premises must be well-lit, secure, and in compliance with all federal, state and municipal laws, ordinances, rules, codes, standards and regulations
- Be an eligible site: commercial (public availability), workplace (Public or private parking facilities, but must be shared use parking spaces), multi-unit dwelling (Public or private parking facilities, but must be shared use parking spaces), or curbside charging
- New construction sites are not eligible for Level 2 funds, except for affordable housing new construction sites
Equipment requirements:
DC Fast Chargers
- New EV charging equipment
- Purchased after the application Funds Reserved date
- Include DCFC dual standard chargers with both CHAdeMO and SAE CCS connector options
- Networked: Equipment and network must have remote diagnostics and be capable of “remote start.” Must also be capable of usage data collection. Minimum five-year networking agreement (eligible towards total project cost)
- Capable of 50 kW or greater
- If payment is required, must accept some form of credit cards and multiple forms of payment
- Must be approved by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory Program (NRTL)
Level 2 Chargers
- New EV charging equipment
- Purchased after the application Funds Reserved date
- ENERGY STAR® Certified
- Networked: Equipment and network must have remote diagnostics and be capable of “remote start.” Must also be capable of usage data collection. Minimum two-year networking agreement (eligible towards total project cost)
- Capable of 6.2 kW or greater per connector
- If payment is required, must accept some form of credit cards and multiple forms of payment
Eligible Equipment Costs
Eligible Costs
The following equipment and costs are eligible for rebate funds under a Level 2 or DC fast charger application:
- Electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE)
- Transformer
- Electric Panels
- Energy storage equipment
- Installation costs (labor and materials)
- Utility service order
- Planning and engineering design costs
- Project signage
- Network agreement with network provider
- Extended warranties
- Stub-outs
- Demand management equipment
Permits as required by authorities having jurisdiction are not eligible costs. Rebate funds do not cover solar panels.
Application Process
It's easy, just follow the steps below to apply for your rebate:
DC Fast Chargers or Combination DC Fast Charger/Level 2 Charger
1. Be an eligible applicant with a qualified installation site.
2. Apply online. Note: all costs can be incurred (at applicant’s risk) starting March 10, 2021.
3. Upload and submit a completed Site Verification Form within 5 calendar days to avoid application cancellation.
4. We review your application and confirm eligibility. Once your application is qualified, your rebate funds are reserved, and you have 450 calendar days (15 months) to complete your project.
5. Upload and submit required Evidence of Permit submittal or, if upgraded or new utility service is required for the project, Utility Service Design submittal documents within 60 calendar days of the Funds Reserved date to avoid application cancellation.
6. After CSE acceptance of Evidence of Permit submittal or Utility Service Design submittal and within 240 days of Funds Reserved date, you can request a milestone payment. To request a milestone payment, you must submit a permit, signed application and design invoice at a minimum.
If your project is complete and all required documents uploaded, final payment can be issued.
7. Receive your rebate check in the mail within 15 business days for milestone payment of up to 60% of your reserved funds.
8. Submit your remaining installation documents online. We will review and process for final payment if full payment was not previously awarded.
9. Receive your final rebate check in the mail within 15 business days of application approval.
Level 2 Charger (only)
1. Be an eligible applicant with a qualified installation site.
2. Apply online. Note: all costs can be incurred (at applicant’s risk) starting March 10, 2021.
3. Upload and submit a completed Site Verification Form within 5 calendar days to avoid application cancellation.
4. We review your application and confirm eligibility. Once your application is qualified, your rebate funds are reserved, and you have 270 calendar days (9 months) to complete your project.
5. Upload and submit required Evidence of Permit submittal or, if upgraded or new utility service is required for the project, Utility Service Design submittal documents within 60 calendar days of the Funds Reserved date to avoid application cancellation.
6. Submit your remaining installation documents online for CSE review and processing.
7. Receive your rebate check in the mail within 15 business days of application approval.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
General
Please contact the project implementer, Center for Sustainable Energy, at inland-counties-calevip@energycenter.org or (707) 690-0464 for all project inquiries.
Project staff is available Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT to answer your questions.
Disadvantaged communities (DACs) are identified in the California Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool CalEnviroScreen Version 3.0 as developed by the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Census tracts in the top 25 percent of CalEnviroScreen 3.0 scores are eligible for increased DAC rebate amounts. These communities are disproportionately burdened by multiple sources of pollution.
Low-income communities (LICs) are the census tracts, respectively, that are either at or below 80 percent of the statewide median income, or at or below the threshold designated as low-income by the California Department of Housing and Community Development's (HCD) 2016 State Income Limits.
For the purposes of the Inland Counties Incentive Project, unincorporated communities are defined as unincorporated towns in Placer, Solano, Stanislaus, and Yolo counties.
Application Process
If you do not receive an email within 15 minutes after submitting your online application or requesting a link to create/reset your password, please check your spam/junk/bulk mail folders.
Make sure that inland-counties-calevip@energycenter.org is on your email safe senders list so you can receive our emails. To find out how to do this, reference the question below.
Once your online application is submitted, CSE will review your application to ensure it meets all eligibility requirements. Once CSE review is complete, you will receive a Funds Reserved email confirming that rebate funds have been reserved for your application. For Level 2 only applications you have 270 days (9 months) from the reservation date to purchase and install your eligible equipment and submit the required documents. For DC fast charger or combination applications you have 450 days (15 months) from the reservation date to purchase and install your eligible equipment and submit the required documents.
Once all required documents have been uploaded, CSE will begin reviewing your documents. To complete the review process, we may need to follow up with you for missing or incomplete information. Once all documents are complete, your application will be approved. We typically issue rebate checks within 15 business days of application approval for a milestone and/or final payment contingent on available rebate funding.
Eligibility
For the purposes of the Inland Counties Incentive Project, eligible fleets are defined as groups of motor vehicles owned or leased by a business, government agency or other organization rather than by an individual or family. Chargers may be public or private and must be shared use. Chargers must primarily serve light-duty vehicles but can serve medium and heavy-duty vehicles as a secondary use. Primary use of chargers cannot be for medium or heavy-duty vehicles.