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SMUD receives $11.6 million federal grant to install new EV charging stations in Sacramento region

Federal grant will allow SMUD to install new EV charging stations in Sacramento region
Federal grant will allow SMUD to install new EV charging stations in Sacramento region 03:01

SACRAMENTO — The U.S. Department of Energy is awarding California $122 million to put toward electric vehicle charging stations and infrastructure. 

The Sacramento region is receiving a portion of that money. SMUD was awarded $11.6 million to install a total of 90 charging units across nine locations in Sacramento and Elk Grove. 

The grant will go toward both the infrastructure and maintenance over the next five years. Locations are still being finalized, but five stations will go up in Elk Grove, and four in Sacramento. Each one will have differing installation costs. 

Gil Tal, UC Davis' director of EV research, said cost depends on a wide variety of factors like location and access to power. 

"Because it's like asking how much a house costs or how much a shirt costs," he said. 

Tal said the grant money aligns with the infrastructure being put in place for this project. 

"The other thing we see happening more and more in the Sacramento region is that EVs used to be kind of rich people toys, they're not anymore," Tal said. 

The demand for chargers is rising across the board. And 5 of the stations will be put in low-income communities. 

"We're working a lot with SMUD on that equity issue. How do we make sure that, regardless of income, everybody can take advantage of electric vehicles and the reduced pollution they create?" Whitlock said. 

As electric vehicles become more affordable, many Californians are making the switch. 

"The State of California estimates there will be about 7.5 million EVs needing to be plugged in by 2030, and that means we need 1.2 million chargers statewide," said Carrie Whitlock, Elk Grove's strategic planning and innovation program manager. "Right now, there's about 100,000 chargers statewide, so we really need to ramp up." 

However, some locals are doing a lot of waiting around for a charger to open up before they can hit the road. 

"I'm pretty fortunate that I'm retired so I can charge at my convenience," said EV owner and Elk Grove resident Richard Heinson. "But if I were working, I'd have to schedule a bit more mindfully for peak times and charging times." 

SMUD wasn't available for an interview but they said in a statement to CBS13: 

"This partnership will help to advance clean vehicle transportation and underscores our commitment to our 2030 zero carbon goal which brings environmental equity and economic vitality to historically under-resourced communities." 

Construction is expected to begin sometime in 2026.

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