Projects

Sacramento Municipal Utility District Grant For Charging Infrastructure for Plug-in Hybrids and Electric Vehicle Demonstration with General Motors

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) and its project partners-the California Department of General Services, the City of Sacramento and the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, along with General Motors-will test 34 Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid vehicles in their fleets of vehicles. Numerous government offices and departments will use the Volts, allowing a wide range of drivers to experience the hybrid four-passenger sedans. In the process, SMUD will collect data to assess and upgrade the electric vehicle charging system located within its service territory, and will work to standardize the permitting process among local agencies for adding new chargers. The program will also increase public awareness of plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Grant Amount

$553,000 from the Energy Commission's Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Transportation Program.

An additional $2,116,898 in federal stimulus funding-for vehicle deployment, infrastructure installation and oversight, Smart Grid and demand response studies, and data collection-comes from US Department of Energy's Transportation Electrification funding opportunity, part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.

Match Funding

$553,000 from the project's participants

Project Participants

Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) is a community-owned electric utility serving 592,000 customers within a 900-square-mile service territory that encompasses Sacramento County and small adjoining portions of Placer County and Yolo County. SMUD is the sixth-largest public utility in the country.

California Department of General Services, the state agency that serves as the business manager for California. One of its most important responsibilities is acquiring and caring for the state vehicle fleet and other state property.

The City of Sacramento, the seventh-largest city in California, is the state capital and the county seat of Sacramento County.

Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, whose mission is to achieve clean air goals in the Sacramento region.

General Motors, based in Detroit, Michigan, is the world's second largest automaker. The hybrid-electric Volt, manufactured by GM's Chevrolet division, went on sale in the US in December 2010.

Project Benefits

The Chevrolet Volt has an all-electric range of 40 miles; over 87 percent of Sacramento-area commuters drive 40 miles or less each day, making our area an ideal testing ground for the vehicle. Projected to operate 95 percent of the time in all-electric mode during the demonstration, the small fleet will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by and estimated 89 metric tons per year and cut gasoline use by 9,600 gallons per year. The project is expected to result in eight full-time electrical contractor jobs as well as related jobs from the manufacture and sale of batteries and charging components.