AB 2415: California Clean Truck, Bus, and Off-Road Vehicle and Equipment Technology Program.

The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency charged with monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. The act authorizes the state board to include the use of market-based compliance mechanisms. Existing law requires all moneys, except for fines and penalties, collected by the state board as part of a market-based compliance mechanism to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and to be available upon appropriation by the Legislature.

The California Clean Truck, Bus, and Off-Road Vehicle and Equipment Technology Program, upon appropriation from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, funds zero- and near-zero-emission truck, bus, and off-road vehicle and equipment technologies and related projects, as specified, with priority given to certain projects, including projects that benefit disadvantaged communities, as defined. The program, until January 1, 2018, requires no less than 20% of the funding made available for the purposes of technology development, demonstration, precommercial pilots, and early commercial deployments of zero- and near-zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty truck technology support early commercial deployment of existing zero- and near-zero-emission heavy-duty truck technology. The program requires the state board to ensure that the results of emissions reductions or benefits can be measured or quantified.

This bill, between January 2, 2018, and January 1, 2023, would require no less than 50% of the moneys allocated each year for technology development, demonstration, precommercial pilots, and early commercial deployments of zero- and near-zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty truck and bus technology be allocated and spent to support the commercial deployment of existing zero- and near-zero-emission heavy-duty truck and heavy-duty bus technology that meets or exceeds a specified emission standard, with at least ²/₃ of these funds to be allocated to heavy-duty truck projects. The bill would authorize the state board to increase those emission standards based on specified findings. The bill would require the state board to limit the incentives that may be allocated to any one vehicle or engine manufacturer in each year under these provisions to 49% of the moneys available for allocation in that year. The bill would require allocations under these provisions to be made for projects that are shown to achieve the greatest greenhouse gas emissions reductions, as specified. The bill also would require the state board to post on its Internet Web site the results of emissions reductions or benefits.