FAQ’s: Public Private Partnership: Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure at the Power Inn Light Rail Station
1. What is the electric charging hub project?
This public-private partnership would deliver a state-of-the-art charging solution for Sacramento’s emerging electric vehicle market, meet the region and state’s sustainable goals, and provide a revenue sharing model for SacRT. It is an opportunity for SacRT to begin development of Mobility Hubs (places that bring together multiple transportationmodes for seamless transportation options) at light rail stations to add amenities and mobility options for transit users and transit-oriented development. A private company, with financial support from American Growth and Infrastructure and their California subsidiary, GiddyUP EV, will purchase and install the fastest DCFC/Level 3 chargers in the industry, which will have the ability to recharge light and medium vehicles simultaneously in minutes compared to hours-longer than a normal plug-in charger.
The proposed new charging station hub will be fully networked and integrated and will use 55 underutilized parking spots out of 299 in the Power Inn light rail station parking lot. The first phase would include 10 high-speed charging stations that can accommodate up to 20 vehicles, installation of solar canopies, and future battery storage for public/private use. Partnership negotiations are also underway for future connectivity to first and last mile solutions such as electric scooters and bikes. This project also has a sustainability and resiliency- with battery storage and solar canopy, public fleets can charge during a power outage and excess generation of electricity can be sold back to the grid, therefore creating a sustainable loop.
2. What is a Public-Private-Partnership (P3)?
Public-private partnerships involve collaboration between a government agency and a private-sector company that can be used to finance, build, and operate projects, such as public transportation networks, parks, and convention centers. Financing a project through a public-private partnership can allow a project to be completed sooner or make it a possibility in the first place, while sharing the potential benefits to both the public agency and financial capital.
3. How did this come about?
In February 2021, a workgroup led by California State Treasurer Fiona Ma and California Environmental Protection Agency Secretary Jared Blumenfeld identified that SacRT’s transit stations would be advantageous sites to install high-speed charging. With private funding from AGI and guidance from SMUD Director Heidi Sanborn, SMUD Chief Executive Officer & General Manager Paul Lau and SacRT General/CEO Henry Li, SacRT and SMUD staff coordinated to develop a proposed project that would help advance clean vehicle adoption, help assist in SacRT’s future electrification requirements, encourage productive use of underused light rail parking, and help incentivize transit ridership.
4. How would this P3 work?
To carry out the proposed project, AGI, through its subsidiary GiddyUp EV, entered into a license agreement with SacRT to pay for the market-cost of the parking lot spaces (currently being appraised) and buy, install, own, and maintain the charging equipment, while also providing a revenue sharing model with SacRT from the electric charging usage and other revenue generated from the site. The five-year license agreement with GiddyUp EV received concurrence from the Federal Transit Administration. The chargers can be used by both public, private, and fleet vehicles at a competitive cost for consumption.
5. Why Power Inn Light Rail Station?
By looking at electrification requirements, appropriate site use, and a use-case study, the workgroup recommended the use of the Power Inn station due to its proximity to mixed-use retail and housing, US-50 freeway, and critical location to both industrial and commercial complexes.
6. Why SacRT?
SacRT’s light rail stations are uniquely situated in the region. We have long-standing partnerships with the community, a transparent and supportive relationship to our stakeholders, and we have experience in delivering projects. Furthermore, SacRT has had a successful history in managing fleet refueling through our Compressed Natural Gas facility.