GFO-25-603 - California’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program – Solicitation 6 Community Charging

GRANT FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

California’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program – Solicitation 6

Community Charging

GFO-25-603

Solicitation Information

https://www.energy.ca.gov/funding-opportunities/solicitations

State of California

California Energy Commission

February 2026

Table of Contents

Attachments

1 – Project Narrative

1B – Station Information

2 – Schedule of Products and Due Dates

3 – Proposal Budget

4 – Letters of Commitment

5 – Preliminary Site Plan

6 – California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Worksheet

7 – National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Preliminary Environmental Study (PES) Form

8 – Utility Verification Form

9 – Resumes

10 – Contact List

11 – Past Performance Reference Form

12 – Applicant Declaration

13 – Letters of Support (optional)

14 – Scope of Work (informational only)

15 – Right of Way Certification Form 13B (NEVI) (informational only)

I. Introduction

A. Purpose of Solicitation

This is a competitive grant solicitation. The California Energy Commission (CEC) announces the availability of up to $79,000,000 in grant funds for projects that will strategically deploy electric vehicle (EV) charging stations with publicly accessible, high-powered, direct current fast chargers (DCFCs) to support light-duty EV travel along major corridors as required under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) formula program.

Submitted projects should be for installation and operation of DC Fast Chargers, using commercially available technology, within a previously disturbed or developed area such that the projects will qualify for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) categorical exclusion for electric vehicle charging stations codified in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 10, Chapter X, Part 1021, Appendix B, Categorical Exclusion B5.23, as explained in the Federal Register notice of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s adoption of the electric vehicle charging stations categorical exclusion (see https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/09/20/2023-20238/notice-of-adoption-of-electric-vehicle-charging-stations-categorical-exclusion-under-the-national).

B. Background

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) (Public Law 117-58) authorizes hundreds of billions of dollars in new investments in a wide array of infrastructure categories, including roads and bridges, water infrastructure, passenger rail, energy, and broadband internet. The IIJA includes $5 billion to accelerate EV infrastructure deployment nationally under the NEVI formula program. California’s share is expected to be $384 million, allocated over 5 years.

NEVI is an initiative to create a coast-to-coast network of EV chargers focused on major highways that support the majority of long-distance trips. This national network will give drivers confidence that they can always find a place to charge, and jump start private investment in charging infrastructure.

The CEC is collaborating with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) on charging infrastructure deployment under an interagency agreement in which the CEC is charged with implementing and administering California’s NEVI formula program.

The CEC and Caltrans prepare NEVI deployment plans as required by the program. The most recent California NEVI Plan is found at https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/sustainability/documents/transportation-electrification/nevi/2025-ca-nevi-plan-update-a11y.pdf. Information about the state’s implementation of the NEVI program is found at https://www.energy.ca.gov/programs-and-topics/programs/federal-ev-infrastructure-programs.

C. Key Activities and Dates

Key activities including dates and times for this solicitation are presented below. An addendum will be released if the dates change for the asterisked (*) activities. Times listed are Pacific Standard Time or Pacific Daylight Time, whichever is being observed.

Please note the CEC will begin accepting applications for this solicitation through the Energy Commission Agreement Management System (ECAMS) on June 15, 2026. Applications should not be submitted prior to this date.

ACTIVITY	ACTION DATE
Solicitation Release	February 23, 2026
Pre-Application Workshop*	March 11, 2026
Deadline for Written Questions (Round 1)*	April 17, 2026
Anticipated Distribution of Questions/Answers (Round 1)	May 11, 2026
Anticipated Posting of Charging Stations Planned or Built under NEVI 1, 2, and 3	Week of June 8, 2026
CEC Begins Accepting Applications in ECAMS	June 15, 2026
Deadline for Written Questions (Round 2)*	June 22, 2026
Anticipated Distribution of Questions/Answers (Round 2)	Week of July 13, 2026
Support for Application Submission in ECAMS until 5:00 p.m.	Ongoing until September 25, 2026
Deadline to Submit Applications by 11:59 p.m.*	September 25, 2026
Anticipated Notice of Proposed Awards Posting	Week of December 7, 2026
Anticipated CEC Business Meeting	February 2027

D. How Award Is Determined

Awards will be determined according to the following steps:

i. Applications must pass screening

Applications must first pass the administrative screening and technical screening discussed in Section I.V.A. 1-4. Applicants that pass these screenings will proceed to Technical Evaluation, discussed in Section IV.A.6.

ii. Applications must achieve at least the minimum scores required in the Technical Evaluation

Each application that passes the administrative and technical screenings will then be evaluated using the scoring scale shown IV.D., and the evaluation criteria in Section IV.E. A minimum score of 70 percent is required for the application to be eligible for funding. Each application must additionally receive a minimum score of 70 percent on both Technical Evaluation Criterion 2, Project Readiness, and Technical Evaluation Criterion 4, Project Budget and Finances, to be eligible for funding.

iii. Applications will be ranked based on Cost Evaluation

Applications that receive a minimum passing score of 70 percent or higher based on the evaluation criteria in Section IV.E. (overall and for Technical Evaluation Criterion 2 and 4) will advance to the Cost Evaluation phase of scoring. Advancement to the Cost Evaluation phase signifies that the proposed project meets the minimum threshold for funding eligibility. During the Cost Evaluation, proposed projects will be ranked in ascending order based on the Cost-per-CCS-Port calculated for the project as described in Section IV.F. Final funding recommendations will be made in rank order based on the cost-efficiency of the proposed project.

If the funds available under this solicitation are insufficient to fully fund a grant proposal, the CEC reserves the right to recommend partially funding that proposal. In this event, the proposed Applicant/Awardee and Commission Agreement Manager (CAM) shall meet and attempt to reach an agreement on a reduced scope of work commensurate with the level of available funding.

E. Availability of Funds

A total of $79,000,000 is available for awards under this solicitation. The CEC, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to increase or decrease the amount of funds available under this solicitation.

F. Maximum Number of Applications

Applicants are only eligible to submit one application under this solicitation. One application must contain a minimum of one (1) and a maximum of twenty (20) EV charging stations. Additional information for applications that include multiple EV charging stations is provided in Section I.H. of this manual.

Applicants may also be subrecipients, vendors, or suppliers for other Applicants’ projects, but must ensure they are prepared to complete their designated work if all applications in which they have a role are awarded.

G. Applicant Award Cap

Applicants who submit proposals with multiple EV charging stations may only receive up to the funding cap, currently 35 percent of the total funds available under this solicitation. The CEC reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to modify or eliminate the applicant award cap; for this reason, applicants may request greater than 35 percent of the funds available under this solicitation. If an Applicant requests and is proposed to be awarded more than 35 percent of the funds available, the CEC will propose to either fully fund or partially fund the proposal based on funding availability.

H. Multiple EV Charging Stations Per Application

An application may include proposals for multiple EV charging stations, as described in Section I.F., and subject to the applicant award cap (Section I.G.). Proposing multiple stations does not guarantee that all proposed stations will be recommended for funding. Applicants must ensure that the proposed budgets and requested funding amounts are appropriate and separate for each station proposed in the event that one or more stations are not awarded funding.

Applications containing multiple EV charging stations must do the following:

• Clearly delineate between the proposed individual EV charging stations throughout the application by numbering the stations (1, 2, 3, etc.) and identify them as Station 1, Station 2, Station 3, etc.

• Submit one of each of the following attachments per application, while using the station numbering to clearly identify the relevant station number for the information being provided in the Project Narrative and Letters of Support.

o Project Narrative (Attachment 1)

o Station Information (Attachment 1B)

o Resumes (Attachment 9)

o Contact List (Attachment 10)

o Past Performance Reference Form (Attachment 11)

o Applicant Declaration (Attachment 12)

o Letters of Support (Attachment 13) (optional)

• For each EV charging station proposed in the application, submit a separate and distinct:

o Schedule of Products and Due Dates (Attachment 2)

o Proposal Budget (Attachment 3)

o Letters of Commitment (Attachment 4)

o Preliminary Site Plan (Attachment 5)

o California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Worksheet (Attachment 6)

o NEPA PES Form (Attachment 7)

o Utility Verification Form (Attachment 8)

For example, an application for five EV charging stations shall include five separate Schedules of Products and Due Dates, Proposal Budgets, Letters of Commitment, Preliminary Site Plans, CEQA Worksheets, NEPA PES Forms, and Utility Verification Forms, clearly numbered for each station. The application shall include one attachment for each of the following elements: Project Narrative, Resumes, Contact List, Past Performance Reference Form, Applicant Declaration, and Letters of Support (optional).

I. Agreements Contingent on Funding Availability

Without limitation to any other of the CEC’s rights and remedies, if any of the Clean Transportation Program funds used for agreements resulting from this solicitation, or any of the federal funds for the NEVI program, become unavailable; are reduced; or are deleted, for any reason including but not limited to FHWA’s failure to obligate funds, de-obligation of previously obligated funds, or failure to provide sufficient funds to reimburse the State of California for the work identified in agreements’ scopes of work, or for CEC administrative costs to oversee and implement resulting agreements, as the CEC may in its sole discretion determine, without limitation to all other rights and remedies available to it, the CEC shall have the option to either: (1) cancel agreements resulting from this solicitation with no liability occurring to the CEC; or (2) offer agreement amendments to the Recipients to reflect a reduced amount of funds. Should the CEC choose to cancel any resulting agreements, the CEC shall have no liability to pay any funds whatsoever to the agreement Recipients, any subrecipients, and any vendors; nor to furnish any other consideration under the agreements; and the Recipients shall not be obligated to perform any provisions of the agreements.

J. Pre-Application Workshop

There will be one Pre-Application Workshop; participation in this meeting is optional but encouraged. The Pre-Application Workshop will be held remotely through Zoom at the date, time and location listed below. Please call the Commission Agreement Officer (CAO) listed below or refer to CEC's solicitation information website at https://www.energy.ca.gov/funding-opportunities/solicitations to confirm the date and time.

March 11, 2026

9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time

Via Zoom

K. Participation Through Zoom

Zoom is the CEC's online meeting service. When attending remotely, presentations will appear on your computer/laptop/mobile device screen, and audio may be heard via the device or telephone. Please be aware that the Zoom meeting will be recorded.

Zoom Instructions:

To join this workshop, go to Zoom at: https://energy.zoom.us/j/89171054113?pwd=fjakUm8druI3R56a2ROHFRVA7va0bH.1 . You may also access the workshop by going to the Zoom webpage at https://join.zoom.us and enter the unique meeting ID and password below:

Meeting ID: 891 7105 4113

Meeting Password: 200946

Topic: Pre-Application Workshop for California’s NEVI Formula Program Solicitation 6

Telephone Access Only:

Call (888) 853-5257 or (888) 475-4499 (toll-free). When prompted, enter the unique meeting ID number above. To comment over the telephone, dial *9 to “raise your hand” and *6 to mute/unmute your phone line.

Access by Mobile Device:

Download the application from the Zoom Download Center at https://energy.zoom.us/download.

Technical Support:

For assistance with problems or questions about joining or attending the meeting, please call Zoom technical support at (888) 799-9666 ext. 2, or you may contact the CEC’s Public Advisor’s Office at publicadvisor@energy.ca.gov , or (916) 957-7910.

To determine whether your computer is compatible with Zoom, visit

the Zoom support website at https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362023-System-requirements-for-Windows-macOS-and-Linux.

L. Questions

During the solicitation process, for questions only related to submission of applications in ECAMS, please contact ECAMS.SalesforceSupport@energy.ca.gov . By contacting this email address, Applicants will be able to access a team of technical assistants who can answer questions about application submission. Please also see Section III for additional information about ECAMS.

Applicants may ask questions at the Pre-Application Workshop and may submit written questions via e-mail to the CAO listed in the following section. There will be two rounds of written questions and answers for this solicitation. All technical questions must be received by the deadline specified for each question round listed in the “Key Activities and Dates” table above. Questions received after the deadline may be answered at the CEC's discretion. Non-technical questions (e.g., questions concerning application format requirements or attachment instructions) may be submitted to the CAO at any time prior to 5:00 p.m. of the application deadline date. Similarly, questions related to submission of applications in ECAMS may be submitted to ECAMS.SalesforceSupport@energy.ca.gov at any time prior to 5:00 p.m. of the application deadline date.

The question-and-answer set will be posted on the CEC’s solicitation information website at www.energy.ca.gov/funding-opportunities/solicitations.

Any verbal communication with a CEC employee concerning this solicitation is not binding on the State and shall in no way alter a specification, term, or condition of the solicitation. All communication must be directed in writing to the CAO assigned to the solicitation.

M. Contact Information

Crystal Willis, Commission Agreement Officer

California Energy Commission

715 P Street, MS-18

Sacramento, California 95814

Telephone: (916) 529-1108

E-mail: Crystal.Willis@energy.ca.gov

N. Reference Documents

Applicants responding to this solicitation may want to familiarize themselves with the following documents:

• Energy Commission Agreement Management System (ECAMS) https://www.energy.ca.gov/funding-opportunities/funding-resources/ecams-resources.

• California Energy Commission. Federal Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Programs https://www.energy.ca.gov/programs-and-topics/programs/federal-ev-infrastructure-programs.

• California Energy Commission. California’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Funding Program Map .

https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/135c0da4b70f4717b4664ad2e427d2bc.

• Caltrans. Local Assistance Procedures Manual . https://dot.ca.gov/programs/local-assistance/guidelines-and-procedures/local-assistance-procedures-manual-lapm.

• Caltrans. Local Assistance Guidelines and Procedures .

https://dot.ca.gov/programs/local-assistance/guidelines-and-procedures.

• Caltrans. Right of Way Manual . https://dot.ca.gov/programs/right-of-way/right-of-way-manual.

• National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Standards and Requirements (23 CFR Part 680)

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/02/28/2023-03500/national-electric-vehicle-infrastructure-standards-and-requirements.

• U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program . https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/nevi/.

• U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program Guidance . https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/nevi/resources/NEVI-Interim-Final-Program-Guidance-8-11-2025.pdf.

• Caltrans and the California Energy Commission. California's Deployment Plan for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program - 2025 Annual Update .

https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/sustainability/documents/transportation-electrification/nevi/2025-ca-nevi-plan-update-a11y.pdf.

• Joint Office of Energy and Transportation. Technical Assistance

https://driveelectric.gov/technical-assistance/.

• National Archives – Federal Register. Waiver of Buy America Requirements for Electric Vehicle Chargers

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/02/21/2023-03498/waiver-of-buy-america-requirements-for-electric-vehicle-chargers .

• California Energy Commission. National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Funding Program, Docket Log 22-EVI-05 . https://efiling.energy.ca.gov/Lists/DocketLog.aspx?docketnumber=22-EVI-05.

• Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program

https://evitp.org/.

• California Energy Commission. Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Assessment – SB 1000 .

https://www.energy.ca.gov/programs-and-topics/programs/clean-transportation-program/electric-vehicle-infrastructure

• California Energy Commission. Electric Vehicles Charging Infrastructure Assessment – AB 2127 .

https://www.energy.ca.gov/programs-and-topics/programs/electric-vehicle-charging-infrastructure-assessment-ab-2127

• California Air Resources Board. Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) Standards.

https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/electric-vehicle-supply-equipment-evse-standards.

• California Department of Food and Agriculture, Division of Measurement Standards. Zero-Emission Vehicle Projects. https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/dms/programs/zevfuels/.

• Clean Transportation Program Investment Plans . https://www.energy.ca.gov/programs-and-topics/programs/clean-transportation-program/clean-transportation-program-investment

II. Eligibility Requirements

A. Applicant Requirements

1. Eligibility

This solicitation is open to all private entities, excluding investor-owned utilities, and is also open to California Tribal Organizations serving California Native American Tribes.

Eligible Applicants must have less than or equal to fifty (50) active projects across all CEC-funded zero-emission vehicle infrastructure grant agreements, including block grants, at the time of agreement execution. A project is considered “active” if it has been awarded under one of CEC’s grants or block grant programs and construction has not finished on the project; a request for final reimbursement has not been submitted; final reimbursement is pending; or the agreement term has not expired. The CEC reserves the right to modify this requirement.

2. Terms and Conditions

Each grant agreement resulting from this solicitation will include terms and conditions that set forth the grant recipient’s rights and responsibilities. By providing the authorizations and certifications required under this solicitation, each Applicant agrees to enter into an agreement, if awarded, with the CEC to conduct the proposed project according to the terms and conditions for this solicitation, including the California NEVI Standard terms and conditions , found at https://www.energy.ca.gov/media/11964, the NEVI Special Federal Terms and Conditions , found at https://www.energy.ca.gov/media/11963, and, if applicable, the Special Terms and Conditions for California Tribal Organizations with Sovereign Immunity Serving California Native American Tribes with Sovereign Immunity , found athttps://www.energy.ca.gov/media/12259 https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.energy.ca.gov%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2F2025-12%2FSpecial_Tribal_Organization_Terms_and_Conditions_ada_0.docx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK , without negotiation.

Failure to agree to the terms and conditions by taking actions such as failing to provide the required authorizations and certifications or indicating that acceptance is based on modification of the terms may result in rejection of the application. Applicants must read the terms and conditions carefully. The CEC reserves the right to modify the terms and conditions prior to executing grant agreements.

If a California Tribal Organization (Tribal Organization) with sovereign immunity serving a California Native American Tribe (Tribe) with sovereign immunity is listed as a proposed awardee in the Notice of Proposed Awards (NOPA), before bringing the proposed award to a Business Meeting, CEC staff must receive (a) resolution(s) or other authorizing document(s) by the governing body of the Tribe and/or Tribal Organization (as applicable) which:

i. Authorizes the Tribal Organization to enter into the proposed agreement, including accepting the Special Terms and Conditions for California Tribal Organizations with Sovereign Immunity Serving California Native American Tribes with Sovereign Immunity, including the Limited Waiver of Sovereign Immunity and Consent to Jurisdiction; and

ii. Approves a limited waiver of the Tribal Organization’s sovereign immunity, to the extent that any such sovereign immunity exists, for any and all claims by the CEC that may arise relating to this Agreement and any remedies therefore under the laws of the state of California and the laws of the United States of America; and

iii. Consents to personal jurisdiction over the Tribal Organization, and consents to venue in any court of the State of California and any federal court sitting in the State of California; and waives any and all claim that the Tribal Organization may have, including without limitation that such court is an inconvenient forum, for the purposes of any proceeding related to this Agreement; and, with respect to a proceeding in a court of the State of California or a federal court sitting in the State of California, any requirement that tribal remedies must be exhausted; and

iv. Delegates authority to execute the proposed agreement to an appropriate individual.

The above requirements may be provided in one or more documents. The document(s) will be included as an exhibit to the resulting grant agreement.

Delay in award. Any delay in the Tribe or Tribal Organization’s ability to provide the documentation specified in sections (i)-(iv) above may result in a delayed award of the grant agreement.

Reservation of right to cancel proposed award. Funds available under this solicitation have encumbrance deadlines which the CEC must meet in order to avoid expiration of the funds. In addition to any other rights reserved to it under this solicitation or that it otherwise has, the CEC reserves the right to cancel a proposed award if it determines, in its sole and absolute discretion, that the documentation described in sections (i)-(iv) above would likely not be provided prior to an encumbrance deadline, and that the CEC’s ability to meet its encumbrance deadline may thereby be jeopardized. In this instance, the CEC may cancel the proposed award and award funds to the next highest scoring applicant according to the evaluation process discussed in Section I.D. How Award is Determined.

3. California Secretary of State Registration

All corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), limited partnerships (LPs) and limited liability partnerships (LLPs) that conduct intrastate business in California are required to be registered and in good standing with the California Secretary of State prior to its project being recommended for approval at a CEC Business Meeting. If not currently registered with the California Secretary of State, Applicants and project team members (e.g., subrecipients and even match fund partners) are encouraged to contact the Secretary of State’s Office as soon as possible to avoid potential delays in beginning the proposed project(s) (should the application be proposed for funding).

For more information, contact the Secretary of State’s Office via the Secretary of State Office’s website at www.sos.ca.gov. Sole proprietors using a fictitious business name must be registered with the appropriate county and provide evidence of registration to CEC prior to their project being recommended for approval at a CEC Business Meeting.

B. Project Requirements

Each application must propose to design, install, operate, and maintain between one (1) and twenty (20) public EV charging stations in an eligible location, as described in Section II.B.2. Each proposed EV charging station must operate for at least five years as specified in the Scope of Work (Attachment 14).

An Applicant may submit only one application as explained in Section I.F.

The state’s Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFCs) are shown in California’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Funding Program Map at https://www.energy.ca.gov/programs-and-topics/programs/federal-ev-infrastructure-programs/californias-national-electric.

EV charging equipment that receives incentive funding from another CEC grant funding opportunity (GFO) or block grant incentive project is not eligible for funding under this GFO.

1. Compliance with Requirements Applicable to NEVI Projects

Project selection and grant administration shall be consistent with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, enacted as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), (Pub. L. 117-58). The NEVI formula program is authorized under Paragraph (2) under the Highway Infrastructure Program heading in title VIII of division J of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Applicants should take note that there are special requirements associated with the federal NEVI formula program, which will apply to projects awarded under this grant. The CEC will use state funds, likely from the Clean Transportation Program, to fund NEVI projects and will receive federal funds as reimbursement. Therefore, both Clean Transportation Program and federal NEVI formula program requirements will apply to grants resulting from this solicitation. The federal requirements are described in detail in the terms and conditions that will be required for grants awarded under this solicitation, which are referenced in Section II.A.2. Without limitation to those terms or any other provision of this solicitation or resultant grant agreements, Applicants should in particular note that all work must comply with the Build America Buy America Act enacted as part of the IIJA, Davis Bacon Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, all applicable requirements of Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Act [49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 24 et seq.], and the requirements of the federal NEVI Program, including the requirements of United States Code (USC) Title 23, Chapter 1; and 2 CFR part 200; and 23 CFR parts 35 and 36; and any promulgated regulations for the federal NEVI Program, and California’s NEVI Deployment Plan, as amended from time to time.

The Federal Uniform Act must be followed on all federal-aid, local assistance projects, which is how all projects resulting from this solicitation will be categorized. This Act applies if federal funds are used in any phase of a project.

2. Project Location

• Each proposed EV charging station must be within one mile as a car drives by the shortest route, of the AFC’s nearest offramp or intersection where a vehicle can exit the corridor. Refer to the map linked above in Section II.B. for the state’s AFCs.

• The EV charging stations must be easily accessible via a route that can safely and conveniently accommodate all light-duty EVs traveling to the facility, entering and leaving the facility, returning to the highway, and continuing in the original direction of travel.

• Proposed EV charging stations must be sited on previously disturbed or developed areas. “Previously disturbed or developed” refers to land that has been changed such that its functioning ecological processes have been and remain altered by human activity. The phrase encompasses areas that have been transformed from natural cover to non-native species or a managed state, including, but not limited to, utility and electric power transmission corridors and rights-of-way, and other areas where active utilities and currently used roads are readily available (10 CFR 1021.102(g)(1) , found at https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-10/chapter-X/part-1021/section-1021.102#p-1021.102(g)(1)) .

• Access and parking must be in accordance with applicable requirements (such as local land use and zoning requirements) in the proposed project area and incorporate appropriate control technologies and best management practices as further described in the Federal Register notice of the Department of Transportation’s adoption of the EV charging stations categorical exclusion under NEPA (see https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/09/20/2023-20238/notice-of-adoption-of-electric-vehicle-charging-stations-categorical-exclusion-under-the-national).

• Proposed EV charging stations must not be sited on property owned by Caltrans.

• Proposed EV charging stations must not be sited at an existing or planned NEVI station from NEVI funding rounds 1-3.

3. Number of EV Charging Stations

For purposes of this solicitation, an EV charging station refers to the area in the immediate vicinity of a group of chargers and includes the chargers, supporting equipment, parking areas adjacent to the chargers, and lanes for vehicle ingress and egress. An EV charging station could comprise only part of the property on which it is located. Multiple chargers may be associated with one EV charging station.

Applicants must propose to install between one (1) and twenty (20) EV charging stations, each one within one mile, as a car drives by the shortest route, of the AFC’s nearest off-ramp or intersection where a vehicle can exit the corridor.

4. Number of Charging Ports

Each EV charging station must have a minimum of four (4) and a maximum of twenty (20) network-connected DCFC ports with a CCS Type 1 connector permanently attached. As long as a DCFC port has a CCS connector, it may optionally have an SAE J3400 connector.

5. Charging Equipment and Networking Requirements

All the following requirements must be met:

• Power Requirements

o Each charging port must support output voltages between 250 volts DC and 920 volts DC.

o Each port must have a continuous power delivery rating of at least 150 kW and supply power of at least 150 kW (or up to an EV’s power delivery request), simultaneously from each charging port at a charging station. Charging stations may conduct power sharing so long as each charging port continues to meet an EV’s request for power of at least 150 kW (or up to an EV’s power delivery request).

o EV charging stations should be supported by a grid connection of at least 150 kW per installed port. For EV charging stations not connecting to the grid, Applicants will need to justify in the Project Narrative how the station will still comply with the simultaneous supply of 150 kW per charging port requirement using renewable distributed energy resources (DER).

• Connectors

o Each DCFC must have at least one permanently attached CCS Type 1 connector. Additional connector types such as SAE J3400 are allowed to be installed if the CCS connector requirement is still met. CHAdeMO is not an eligible connector. Connectors should be rated with a current carrying capacity of greater than or equal to 375 Amps.

• Interoperability: Charger-to-EV Communication

o The chargers must conform to ISO 15118-3, and hardware must be capable of implementing both ISO 15118-2 and ISO 15118-20.

o The chargers must include all necessary software and hardware to perform Plug-and-Charge using ISO 15118-2.

o Conformance testing for charger software and hardware should follow ISO 15118-4 and 15118-5, respectively.

• Interoperability: Charger-to-Charger Network Communication

o The chargers must conform to Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) 2.0.1 or later. Manufacturers must attest that the charger conforms to OCPP 2.0.1 or later by detailing it on a publicly available charger specification sheet.

• Interoperability: Charging-Network-to-Charging Network Communication

o The charger’s networking software must connect to a central management system using OCPP 2.0.1 for the purposes of charger management and data reporting.

o The charging network must be capable of communicating with other charging networks in accordance with the Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI) 2.2.1.

• Interoperability: Network Switching Capability

o The chargers must be designed to securely switch network providers without any changes in hardware.

• Cybersecurity

o The chargers and charging software must meet all the NEVI cybersecurity requirements listed in the federal NEVI standards. Funding recipients will be required to develop a cybersecurity plan as required in Section II.B.18 after agreement execution and prior to the time of station commissioning.

• Charger Network Connectivity Requirements

o The chargers must be networked and must include the following three abilities:

• Have network connectivity with one of the following:

o IEEE 802.11n for high-bandwidth wireless networking, or

o IEEE 802.3 for Ethernet for local- or wide-area network applications.

• Be able to receive remote software updates, real-time protocol translation, encryption, and decryption, including:

o Internet Protocol (IP)-based processor which must support multiple protocols, and

o Compliance with Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)/IP and IPv6.

• Be able to connect to a network’s back-end software.

o Each charging port must be covered by and included in a networking agreement for at least five (5) years.

• Safety and Weather Resistance

o The charging equipment must be certified by an Occupational Safety and Health Administration Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory.

o The charging equipment must be able to withstand extreme weather conditions, including temperature extremes, flooding, heavy rains, and high winds.

o Display screens must be protected from malfunctions due to condensation and any local area weather conditions.

• Compliance with State Requirements

o All chargers must meet applicable requirements, including those of Senate Bill 454 (Corbett, Chapter 418, Statutes of 2013), the California Air Resources Board Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) Standards, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture Division of Measurement Standards, for public chargers.

6. Compliance with Applicable Laws, Ordinances, Regulations, and Standards

All Applicants proposed for award must comply with all applicable laws, ordinances, regulations, and standards; federal, state, and local electrical and building codes for construction; and at all EV charging stations, equipment must be publicly accessible.

7. EV Charging Station Accessibility and Availability

EV charging stations funded under this solicitation must be publicly accessible 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, year-round. Equipment must be available to the public without restriction. A station that is not maintained or restricts access only to customers, tenants, employees, or other customers is not publicly accessible. This does not prohibit isolated or temporary interruptions in service or access because of maintenance or repairs.

Signage that limits who can use the chargers is strictly prohibited. Signs and other actions cannot be used to limit access to guests, patrons, or otherwise that would cause a driver to believe they would be prohibited from, towed, or fined for using the charger.

Site hosts must include signage indicating that the parking stall is for active EV charging only with a time limit for usage of the stall. A minimum of at least one sign per six charging stalls is recommended so that a driver can reasonably see the rules.

Sites where chargers are proposed to be located behind gates or barriers are generally not considered to have public access. An Applicant proposing sites that are located behind a gate or barrier has the burden of proof to describe why said chargers are public. The Applicant must submit documentation describing why the gate or barrier is necessary and must disclose how someone charging their vehicle would access the charger. The disclosure shall include the available hours and access fees, the full process to access the charger, pay, and exit the site including if the driver must enter a building or otherwise navigate the facility. Such sites will be considered on a case-by-case basis and if approved will be required to add signage (1) directing the driver to the specific locations of the chargers on the property, (2) explicitly state that the chargers are available for all members of the public to use, and (3) include the cost to access the site. Signage shall be readable from the public roadway and at the gate entrance.

Optimal sites will have no fee associated with gaining access to the chargers. However, it is expected that some sites will have a fee associated simply by the nature of parking in certain environments. This could be a parking fee for the stall such as when someone parks in a downtown location and pays a paybox for using the stall for a given number of hours, a parking ramp that has a fee for access, or gated parking when done for safety or to limit loitering. In circumstances where a fee is required, the Applicant must disclose to the CEC the cost and details of the fee. The CEC will have the discretion to determine on a case-by-case basis if the fees are prohibitive, and in such cases the CEC may require the Applicant to provide two (2) hours of free parking at the charging stall.

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