In the heart of the Bay Area, where the quest for sustainable living intertwines with the need for affordable housing, a new partnership has emerged. Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco (Habitat Greater San Francisco) recently joined forces with CleanPowerSF’s EV Charge SF program to bring electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to their latest affordable homeownership development in San Francisco at Amber Drive. CleanPowerSF is a community choice energy program that serves more than 380,000 residents and businesses in San Francisco. This collaboration of these two community-spirited organizations represents a power-ful step towards ensuring equitable access to clean, reliable energy.
Expanding electric vehicle charging access is not just a shared goal between the SFPUC and Habitat Greater San Francisco, it also is City policy. In 2017, San Francisco passed an EV Readiness Ordinance requiring new construction projects to install sufficient electric capacity to serve electric vehicle charging for at least 20 percent of new parking stalls. However, the ordinance did not go as far as to require that EV charging stations be installed in new projects.
That’s where EV Charge SF comes in – an innovative incentive program offered by the SFPUC. EV Charge SF is intended to help developers design and finance EV charging infrastructure in new construction projects in San Francisco. Through EV Charge SF, new residential and commercial buildings can take advantage of up to $120,000 in financial incentives to install EV chargers and related infrastructure. To qualify for the incentives the buildings must be served by either CleanPowerSF or Hetch Hetchy Power under a qualifying electric rate.
EV Charging Access for Sustainability and Affordability
For Habitat Greater San Francisco, incorporating EV charging into their projects aligns with their commitment to sustainable building practices. The addition of EV charging stations complements an array of environmentally friendly features already included in the Amber Drive home designs, including solar rooftop panels and energy-efficient appliances. Moreover, by providing convenient home-access to EV charging technology, Habitat Greater San Francisco aims to empower residents financially. Electric vehicles have lower operating and lifetime costs of ownership when compared to internal combustion vehicles, yet this affordability advantage is not equally available to low-income residents. That’s because 80% of EVs are charged at home, which offers both the greatest convenience and lowest electricity cost through residential electric rates. Lacking this access often is a key barrier to EV ownership. To avoid this impediment for future residents, Habitat Greater San Francisco equipped six of the project’s eight parking stalls with EV charging.
"Electric vehicles bring cleaner air, improved health outcomes and significant cost savings compared to gas-powered vehicles, and yet while the sale of EVs has more than doubled year-over-year, many low-income and historically disadvantaged communities continue to face major barriers to adoption. Habitat Greater San Francisco is excited to be part of this effort to remove obstacles to EV charging and ensure it is more equitably distributed and available at costs all residents can afford."- Maureen Sedonaen, Chief Executive Officer at Habitat Greater San Francisco
Program Benefits and Implementation
The EV Charge SF program proved instrumental in realizing Habitat Greater San Francisco's vision for providing access to EV charging at Amber Drive. Not only did the program provide cost-effective solutions, but it also offered technical assistance tailored to the project's unique requirements. By partnering with Habitat Greater San Francisco, EV Charge SF was able to support the installation of an accessible, clean energy amenity that will be available for residents well into the future.
Impact on Residents and Future Outlook
The introduction of EV charging infrastructure at Amber Drive is ultimately about planning for the future. Surveys of the incoming new homeowners revealed a strong interest in transitioning to electric vehicles, especially given today’s skyrocketing fuel prices and the convenience of having chargers readily available. As EV adoption continues to grow, and lower-priced new and used EV models become more available, initiatives like the one undertaken at Amber Drive have the potential to catalyze change, making sustainable transportation more inclusive and accessible.
Could EV Charge SF Work For You?
Habitat Greater San Francisco supports SFPUC in strongly recommending the EV Charge SF program to other developers, and especially to affordable housing developers. Why? First, San Francisco residents are increasingly adopting EVs, including 34 percent of new vehicles sales in 2023, and even more EVs being purchased in a strong used vehicle market. And at a broader level, access to clean energy devices like EV chargers will be critical to San Francisco and California’s efforts to achieve net-zero carbon emissions. Transportation currently accounts for almost half of San Francisco’s greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution from gas and diesel vehicles continues to disproportionately impact low-income communities and communities of color. Cities and utilities are working to speed up the transition to clean energy. Partnerships such as Habitat Greater San Francisco and the SFPUC illustrate the potential of utility-designed programs that meet developer needs while integrating sustainability into new project deliveries.
Maureen Sedonaen of Habitat Greater San Francisco said, "We are incredibly grateful for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s EV Charge SF program. Their team partnered with us to make EV charging a reality for our Amber Drive homeowners, many of whom would not otherwise have had access."
Interested in making EV charging a part of your new development or construction project? The SFPUC is here and ready to assist. Find out if your project is eligible for EV Charge SF by contacting powerprograms@sfwater.org or calling (415) 554-0773.