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This week the California Energy Commission approved $11 million in research grants for projects including a truck-mounted, non-polluting backup generator and a pilot program for a universal charger for electric vehicles. Another project that got funded, and the one that grabbed the most attention is a ChargePoint effort to create an unprecedented 600 kW automated, superfast charger for electric buses. The $2 million approval also includes overhead charging cables. “It’s like a triple shot caffeinated cappuccino,” said CEC Chair David Hochschild. ChargePoint’s Dedrick Roper acknowledged that no bus or truck today can take that high a charge. The pilot seeks to enable big, short bursts of power to keep buses, and later trucks, charged. Commissioner Patty Monahan was thrilled with the project, pointing to the state mandate over the next two decades to electrify medium- and heavy-duty trucks to reduce excessive pollution, particularly in overburdened communities. She said the project would help “future-proof the system.” This high-power charging station aims to accommodate any type of connector. The lack of standardized connections complicates charging. There are four common configurations plus Tesla’s proprietary connector. To help improve vehicle charging, the CEC awarded Dekra Certification $2 million to create a laboratory at a repurposed facility in Concord in the Bay Area to settle on a universal standard. It is to establish easily-integrated EV charging equipment based on industry standards. This laboratory is expected to be up and running later this year, said CEC Air Pollution Specialist Jeffrey Lu. “Standardization drives down cost, making it easier for everyone to plug-in vehicles,” said Commissioner Monahan. The biggest award doled out at the Feb. 16 meeting was $3 million to the company RockeTruck to develop a 120 kW mobile generator that’s expected to be fueled both green hydrogen fuel cells and lithium-ion batteries. The renewably-produced hydrogen will be provided by California State University, Los Angeles, CEC Associate Energy Specialist Quenby Lum told the Commissioners. The truck-mounted generator is meant to replace diesel generators and will be tested in different climate zones, she said. It will be mounted on a flatbed trailer and travel to communities between Bakersfield and San Diego when their power is shut off. The 60 kW fuel cell and 60 kW battery are expected to provide 48 hours of continuous electricity. The two final grants of the week totaling $4 million are to help green energy resources. Yotta Energy was awarded $1.3 million for a grid-connected solar-plus-storage resiliency project on an affordable housing rooftop in Santa Ana. The storage module will be placed under the solar panel and be able to dissipate heat on hot days. The company’s Jenn Gallegos said the project aims to keep the batteries at optimal temperatures with the use of phase change materials that absorb extra heat. She said the material is the same as that used on satellites sent into space. The second grant was $2.7 million to GreenFire Energy to increase energy production at low- or non-producing geothermal wells. GreenFire technology entails a retrofit on existing wells that allows for extracting heat without extracting water, to power turbines to generate electricity. On Wednesday, the CEC also approved 1% interest loans to two cities to help increase their clean power. The City of Eureka won a $1.4 million loan to install two solar PV arrays totaling 418 kW and for LED lighting at water treatment sites. The project is estimated to reduce about 525,646 kWh of grid electricity consumption a year, saving Eureka about $95,000 annually, said the Sean Lockwood, CEC associate energy specialist. The City of San Leandro won a $1.3 million grant to install HVAC and LED lighting upgrades at 14 sites. The project is estimated to reduce about 556,000 kWh of grid electricity use a year, saving roughly $112,402 annually. In related decarbonization news, the CEC set a goal of 6,000 electric heat pumps in the state by 2030 in new and existing buildings as part of its 2021 Integrated Policy Energy Report.

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